A top acting State Department official if facing scrutiny after it was revealed he had spread false rumors and made nasty remarks about Secretary of State Marco Rubio on X.
In the now deleted posts, Darren Beattie spread unfounded claims about Rubio’s sexuality and called him ‘low IQ,’ CNN reported on Monday after reviewing his social media.
Beattie is now serving as acting under secretary of state for public diplomacy putting him in a position working for the man he once attacked mercilessly online.
‘Forget Wainwright park, forget the foam, forget the war promotion and the neocon sugar daddies, forget the low IQ, forget the 2016 primary, Rubio is TOUGH ON CHINA (and good for military industrial complex) So be a good DOG and vote for him!!!’ Beattie wrote in a post on January 7, 2021, according to CNN.
The now-deleted post references a far-right conspiracy theory about the former senator from a long ago curfew violation when he was a teenager that later got turned into an unfounded claim that Rubio is gay.
The follow-up post on Rubio stated ‘What happens in the Cabana stays in the Cabana #Rubio’ according to CNN.
The two posts came after Rubio as a senator voted to certify the 2020 election for Joe Biden, but Beattie appeared to attack Rubio online numerous times over several years.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaking to reporters on the plane to Saudi Arabia on March 10
‘If a bunch of DC wonks try to reinvent Marco Rubio as a nationalist, but a ‘respectable’ one who promises tax credits to BLM supporters and is “TOUGH ON CHINA” will you be a good dog and vote for him?’ read another post.
Beattie also asked ‘Does Marco Rubio have a future in politics?’ in another deleted post.
Three other posts from July 23, 2020 called efforts to rebrand Rubio as a nationalist as a ‘scam,’ ‘nonsense’ and ‘fake’ CNN noted.
While Beattie purged his account of some of the nastiest attacks, other attacks posted online were left up.
In response to its report, Beattie told CNN that Rubio is ‘100 percent America First and it’s a tremendous honor to work for him in advancing President Trump’s world historical agenda.’
Darren Beattie, who serves as acting under secretary for public diplomacy, attacked Rubio in a series of now-deleted social media posts, CNN reported
DailyMail.com reached out to the State Department for comment.
The secretary of state declined to comment to CNN on Beattie’s past attacks online, but he said Beattie’s role would focus on perceived online censorship.
Rubio has also said Beattie would not be nominated to a full-time position requiring Senate confirmation.
Acting officials can remain in positions for up to 300 days.
Beattie previously served in the Trump administration during his first term as a White House speechwriter.
However, he was fired in 2018 following a CNN report he spoke at a white nationalist conference in 2016.
Beattie has a long history of making inflammatory remarks and promoting conspiracy theories about the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
He once posted ‘white men must be in charge if you want things to work.’
