Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Republican of Florida Sen. Marco Rubio He passed his confirmation hearing with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday, confirming that he will take on the role of top diplomat under the new Trump administration later this month.
Rubio’s confirmation hearing, a process usually filled with verbal diatribes, strong political agendas and evasive answers, was full of conviction, with Democratic and Republican lawmakers applauding his work in the Senate and his deep knowledge of issues complexes around the world.
These were the best moments from Rubio’s hearing.
RUBIO PRESENTS FOREIGN POLICY CREDENTIALS TO SENATE IN CONTEST TO BE AMERICA’S BEST DIPLOMAT
Demonstrators
While Rubio may have been well received by his Senate colleagues, his hearing was not entirely free of contention.
The initial statements of the Secretary of State-hopeful were interrupted by several demonstrators affiliated to a group known as Code Pinkwho were protesting the Israel-Hamas war and wearing pink shirts with the words “stop killing the children of Gaza”.
Two of the protesters forced to leave the chamber were men, before a protester also stood up and shouted in Spanish.
She was quickly heard from the room and the hearing quickly resumed.
“I get bilingual protesters,” Rubio told the panel of senators with a smile before resuming his remarks.
Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio went through his confirmation hearing with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images)
IN IS
Rubio’s joke about the protesters seemed to set the tone for his audience.
While Rubio faced tough questions about geopolitical issues detailed on nearly every continent, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle also poked fun at his Senate colleague.
Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott introduced Rubio at the head of the audience, saying he will “finally” get to be Florida’s senior senator after the duo have served together in the upper chamber since 2019.
Senator Cory Booker, Democrat of New Jersey, laughed when he said: “Senator Rubio, the president (elect) made a great decision in electing you.
“You are a thought leader in foreign policy. However, I don’t think most Americans know how great of an opinion leader you are in the NCAA, the NFL, and high school football, and I’m a little disappointed that either don’t go to the head of the NCAA right now.”
To which Rubio replied, “Not yet,” drawing laughter from the room.
In another bipartisan moment rarely seen during cabinet nomination hearings, Illinois Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth told an emotional story of one of his first encounters with Rubio, a stark contrast to his questioning of Pete Hegseth the day before.
In 2018, not only was Duckworth relatively new to the upper chamber, but the mother-to-be was also lobbying the congressional body to change its rules and allow new parents to bring their child into the Senate chamber for a voting
Duckworth, who is physically disabled after surviving a 2004 RPG attack on his helicopter in Iraq, described rolling across the Senate floor in his wheelchair when he heard someone call his name.
“And you came running down from the top back of the Senate chambers to say, ‘I’m with you.’ I’ll support you,” he said. “And I just want to thank you for that kindness. … It was a truly bipartisan moment.”
Rubio responded, saying, “I think what I said exactly is, ‘What’s the big deal? This place is already full of babies,'” once again drawing laughs.
While Rubio faced tough questions about detailed geopolitical issues on nearly every continent, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle also poked fun at him. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
serious matters
The five-hour hearing wasn’t all fun and laughter, as Rubio was pressed on issues with big security implications like the war in Ukraine, China, NATO. and Arctic security.
Rubio surprised no one with his tough approach to China and his commitment to remain a strong NATO ally.
While senators from one area might have hoped Rubio would have come out more definitively, it was about what continued support for Ukraine might look like and how the incoming Trump administration will handle Ukraine as a member of the NATO.
Both Ukraine and Russia have indicated they are open to negotiating a ceasefire. But achieving a lasting peace deal could be difficult, as Ukraine’s entry into the NATO alliance has been seen as non-negotiable by both Kiev, which wants the alliance’s security, and Moscow, which has been fervently he opposed Ukraine’s accession to NATO.
“The truth is that in this conflict there is no way Russia will take all of Ukraine. Ukrainians are too brave and fight too hard, and the country is too big,” he said.
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio testifies before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on his nomination to be Secretary of State, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on January 15, 2025. (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
But Rubio added that “there is no way that Ukraine is also pushing these people (the Russians) to where they were on the eve of the invasion.”
Rubio pointed out that Ukraine will not be able to keep up with the large number of troops that Russia can throw into the war.
“It is important that everyone be realistic. There will have to be concessions,” said Rubio. “This will not be easy. It will require a lot of diplomacy.”
TRUMP’S CABINET PICKS PAM BONDI, MARCO RUBIO, OTHERS FACED A FULL DAY OF QUESTIONS FROM SENATORS
CHINA’S PROBLEM
Security threats surrounding China came up on nearly every issue Rubio was asked about, including its growing presence in Africa and Latin America, its oppressive practices in the South China Sea, concerns about trade , human rights abuses, technology and its growing relations with China. other adversary nations.
But a newer topic in the headlines lately is that of China involvement in the Panama Canal.
“This is something that has been around for at least a decade in my service,” he said, referring to a 2017 trip to Panama. “Chinese companies control port facilities at both ends of the canal, east and west. And the concerns among military officials and security officials, including in Panama, at the time, (was) that it could one day be used as a choke point to prevent trade in a time of conflict.”
“This is a legitimate problem that must be faced,” he added.
The question of Chinese control over the main waterway resurfaced earlier this month when Trump refused to say whether he would rule out military intervention in the Panama Canal.
Rubio was pressed several times on this issue, though it was clear that he was not yet at a point where he knew enough about the legal parameters of US intervention in Panama to give a comprehensive answer.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Sen. Tim Kaine, Democrat of Virginia, applauded Rubio for being “extremely well prepared” for his confirmation hearing as the next secretary of state. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
KAINE GUSHES
Sen. Tim Kaine, Democrat of Virginia, applauded Rubio for being “extremely well prepared” for his confirmation hearing as the next secretary of state, a stark contrast to his tension. engagement with Hegseth during his hearing a day earlier.
“We’re used to seeing nominees who know a lot about a couple of things, and sometimes, who know very little about pretty much everything,” he said. “But I think you’ve seen a hearing with a candidate who, agree or disagree with the points he’s made, isn’t talking about an informational book.
“It’s not thumbing through a folder to decide how to answer a particular question,” Kaine continued. “I have always been impressed by working with Senator Rubio on this committee, since I came to the Senate in January 2013, that he has a very developed sense of the world and a passion for all corners.”
Kaine’s sentiment appeared to be shared by the entire committee, with many of the senators expressing confidence that Rubio will be unanimously confirmed for the top post.
