Secretary of State Marco Rubio began mass firings at the State Department on Monday, part of a reorganization plan to form a leaner foreign policy force that, he argues, will allow the United States to respond more nimbly by removing layers of bureaucracy.

Trump then earnestly launched into a story about how he forced Rubio— who, in a jab about his height, he dubbed ’Little Marco’ during the 2016 presidential campaign—to give up the ornamental timepiece. “I’m in Marco’s office [and] I see this gorgeous clock, grandfather clock,” a grinning Trump explained, with Rubio awkwardly smiling to his right.

The U.S. secretary of state met with his Russian counterpart on the sidelines of a gathering of Southeast Asian nations, where he also defended new U.S. tariff threats.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced mass layoffs at the U.S. State Department as part of a major restructuring plan by the Trump Administration. The New York Times reported that 1300 State Department employees are being laid off,

At a cabinet meeting several days ago, Secretary of State Marco Rubio showed fealty to Donald Trump by lavishing him with praise after praise, commending him for "accomplishing" so much in just 6 months.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Thursday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.