Marco Rubio allegedly spent $1.2 million of taxpayers’ money on flights to watch his son’s games

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio made 23 trips to Gainesville, Florida, using government aircraft, and the total cost of the flights allegedly amounted to $1.2 million, according to an investigation published by The Washington Post.

Rubio attended at least ten games of the Florida Gators team, where his son, Anthony, plays. Of the 23 trips made since taking office in January 2025, 15 were classified by the State Department as travel exclusively for personal purposes.

The costs were calculated based on rates published by the Department of Defense. Federal regulations require high-ranking officials traveling for personal reasons to reimburse the Treasury the equivalent of an economy-class ticket, but Rubio and the State Department did not specify how much they actually paid.

Former officials said that the number of trips significantly exceeds that of his predecessors. Rubio said he would continue attending events that are important to him and his family.