Top Rubio adviser for Venezuela and Cuba leaves State Dept.
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Departing State Department official Jeremy Lewin. Photo: State Department
Jeremy Lewin, one of Secretary of State Marco Rubio's key advisers, is exiting the Trump administration ahead of the midterms.
Why it matters: Lewin played crucial roles in shaping the administration's foreign policy, particularly in normalizing relations between the U.S. and Venezuela after the Jan. 3 ouster of Nicolas Maduro.
- Lewin first entered the federal government via Elon Musk's DOGE effort to cut government spending.
- He is getting married and has a job lined up in the private sector after he returns from his honeymoon.
Zoom in: Lewin, 29, has been the youngest-ever under secretary and director of policy planning at the State Department. In his two years at the department, Lewin:
- Led U.S. engagement with Venezuela's new leader, Delcy Rodriguez; helped assemble Trump's massive oil deal with that nation; implemented economic revitalization plans there, and was the State Department's point person for earthquake relief in Caracas.
- Led the bilateral U.S.-Cuba talks in Havana with Raul Castro's grandson, Raulito Castro, and helped implement the State Department's sanctions against the island's government.
- Was part of the administration's negotiating team for the Greenland Security Agreement with the Danish government and authorities in Greenland.
- Was a key figure at DOGE who helped lead the dismantling of USAID. Lewin then helped restructure foreign aid programs under the State Department.
What they're saying: "It has been the privilege of a lifetime to work for President Trump and @SecRubio, and I'm eternally grateful for their support in trusting me to execute on their foreign policy vision," Lewin said in a statement.
- "Over the last two years, President Trump has put decades of post-Cold War malaise behind us, permanently transforming U.S. foreign policy to put Americans first, keep them safe, and drive peace and shared prosperity across the world. I look forward to supporting the administration for the next two years as a private citizen."
