At the Senate confirmation hearing for Sergio Gor, nominated as US Ambassador to India, U.S. State Secretary Marco Rubio underscored India’s critical importance as a “top relationship” for American foreign policy in the 21st century, placing it at the core of the future Indo-Pacific order. Rubio praised Gor as exceptionally close to President Trump, lauding his administrative skills and ability to staff up the administration, and argued that having the president’s trust and direct access to the Oval Office is vital for the role. Rubio called for strong US-India cooperation on major challenges, including security, migration, global technology standards, and the Quad partnership, emphasizing the need for robust representation in New Delhi to advance joint interests and counter common threats like China.