Rubio Spent $1.2 Million in Taxpayer Money on Military Flights to Son's Football Games

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has spent more than $1.2 million of taxpayer money on personal flights aboard military aircraft to watch his son play college football, a Washington Post investigation has found. The newspaper's review of flight records, published on Wednesday, November 11, found Rubio has made at least 23 trips to Gainesville, Florida, aboard military aircraft since taking office in 2025, and that the State Department classified 15 of them as solely personal.

Key Points

• A Washington Post investigation published November 11 found Secretary of State Marco Rubio spent more than $1.2 million of taxpayer money on personal military-aircraft flights to watch his son play college football.
• Rubio made at least 23 trips to Gainesville aboard military aircraft since 2025, with 15 solely personal, and attended at least 10 Gators games over two seasons.
• His son Anthony Rubio, a senior walk-on running back, has played in only four competitive games in four years, scoring one touchdown, and did not play in the November 7 game against Oklahoma.
• Rubio must repay only the commercial economy fare, about $18,000 for the Gainesville trips, roughly 3 percent of the true cost; neither he nor the State Department has said how much he has actually repaid.
• The State Department defended the travel as required for secure communications, while experts told the Post it is within Rubio's rights but outpaces his predecessors.

What Happened

The Washington Post investigation, published on Wednesday, November 11, traced Rubio's travel aboard military aircraft to Gainesville, home of the University of Florida, where his son Anthony plays as a senior walk-on running back for the Florida Gators. The newspaper found at least 23 such trips since Rubio took office as secretary of state in 2025, and the State Department itself classified 15 of them as solely personal.

Rubio attended at least 10 University of Florida games over the past two seasons, including five this fall. His most recent trip came on November 7, when he arrived in Gainesville aboard an Air Force C-37 to watch the Gators lose 23-7 to Oklahoma, a game Anthony did not play in. The Post put the cost at more than $1.2 million, using published Defense Department hourly operating rates for the aircraft.

Background: Why Rubio Flies on Military Aircraft

Rubio is barred from flying commercially for security reasons, as are other senior national security officials. That means even his personal travel is conducted aboard government aircraft, with the taxpayer covering the cost of operating the plane. What he must repay is governed by a different rule: officials in his position reimburse only the equivalent of a commercial economy ticket for the same route.

For the Gainesville trips, that reimbursement would come to about $18,000 in total, based on an average round-trip fare of about $820. Including his travel between Washington and South Florida, the figure rises to more than $33,000, roughly 3 percent of the true cost. Neither Rubio nor the State Department has disclosed how much he has actually reimbursed.

Rubio Military Flights: The Cost Gap at the Centre of the Story

The gap between the $1.2 million cost and the roughly $18,000 reimbursement is what has made the investigation so striking. The rules were written for occasional personal travel, and the commercial-fare reimbursement was designed as a rough proxy, not a true accounting. When the travel becomes routine, as the Post found it has been for Rubio, the difference between the two numbers grows into seven figures.

The 23 trips to Gainesville are not the whole picture. The Post's reporting also covers Rubio's travel between Washington and South Florida, pushing the total reimbursement above $33,000 while the true cost is far higher. The findings raise a question beyond one family's football weekends: how much personal use of military aircraft is acceptable when the public pays the full cost and the official repays only a fraction?

Reactions and Quotes

The State Department pushed back hard on the Post's findings. Assistant Secretary of State Dylan Johnson defended the travel as required for secure communications and continuity of government, and called the newspaper's comparison "moronic". His argument is that Rubio's security requirements do not pause on weekends, and that the aircraft are part of the job whether the destination is a summit or a stadium.

Former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt offered a different defence, saying the report confirms "Secretary Rubio is a great dad". Her comment framed the trips as a father supporting his son, a walk-on who has spent four years earning a place on a major college football team. The experts the Post consulted were more measured, saying the travel is within Rubio's rights, but noting that his use appears to exceed what his predecessors did.

Why It Matters

The story matters because it involves public money, and more than $1.2 million of it. Taxpayers fund the aircraft, the crews and the fuel, while the official travelling on them repays a sum set by a rule that was never meant to reflect the real cost. When the gap reaches seven figures, the arrangement invites scrutiny even if no rule was broken.

It also matters because of the office Rubio holds. As secretary of state, he is the country's top diplomat, and his travel is watched closely at home and abroad. A pattern of personal flights on military jets creates an optics problem the administration has so far answered with defiance rather than disclosure.

What Happens Next

The immediate question is whether the State Department will disclose how much Rubio has actually reimbursed. So far, neither the secretary nor the department has said, and the Post's reporting leaves that figure open. A disclosure would answer the simplest question in the story: whether even the roughly $18,000 commercial-fare share has been paid.

Congressional oversight is the next likely step, with lawmakers who oversee the State Department's budget able to request a full accounting of the flights. Rubio has given no sign of changing his travel, and his son's college career is in its final season. The Gators' remaining games will test whether the secretary keeps flying to Gainesville now that the cost of those trips is public. Related coverage: Rubio Tightens Grip on State Department After Guilfoyle Exit.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much taxpayer money did Marco Rubio spend on flights to his son's football games?
More than $1.2 million, per a Washington Post investigation published November 11, 2026.

How many trips did Rubio make to Gainesville?
At least 23 trips aboard military aircraft since taking office in 2025, with 15 classified as solely personal.

How much does Rubio have to reimburse the government?
Only the commercial economy fare, about $18,000 for the Gainesville trips, roughly 3 percent of the true cost.

Why does Rubio fly on military aircraft instead of commercial flights?
He is barred from flying commercially for security reasons, so his travel is conducted aboard government aircraft with secure communications.

Has Rubio broken any rules?
Experts told the Post the travel is within his rights because he cannot fly commercially, though his use appears to outpace his predecessors. Also read: Rubio Denies Exit Plans and Vows to Serve Trump's Full Second Term.