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Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the Trump administration’s international coverage strategy throughout a contentious Senate Overseas Relations Committee listening to on Tuesday. Rubio, presenting the administration’s 2026 State Division finances, confronted sharp criticism from Democratic lawmakers who questioned the numerous cuts to international help applications and the closing of the U.S. Company for Worldwide Improvement. The previous Republican senator insisted that regardless of these adjustments, the USA isn’t making an attempt to “withdraw from the world.”
Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the committee’s high Democrat, led the criticism in opposition to Rubio’s testimony. The New Hampshire senator accused the administration of losing thousands and thousands slightly than reaching its promised financial savings and deceptive the general public about humanitarian support supply. In keeping with The Washington Put up, Shaheen immediately confronted Rubio, stating, “I don’t really feel extra affluent… I don’t really feel safer,” whereas expressing concern about “American flags coming down all over the world.” She additional criticized the administration for ceding leverage to Russian President Vladimir Putin in its makes an attempt to dealer a ceasefire in Ukraine.
In response to the criticism, Rubio acknowledged that “the State Division needed to change” whereas urging his former colleagues to grasp that the intent behind these adjustments was to not dismantle American international coverage or withdraw from world engagement. To emphasise his level, he famous having visited “18 international locations in 18 weeks” and assembly with international ministers, together with these from Ukraine, extra incessantly than seeing his personal youngsters. Rubio maintained that each sanction in opposition to Russia applied by the earlier administration stays in place, countering claims about surrendering leverage.
Rubio’s transformation into Trump’s international coverage advocate attracts consideration
As soon as often called a powerful supporter of international support and conventional alliances, Rubio has realigned himself as a loyal advocate for Trump’s extra isolationist and transactional international coverage agenda. He has supported the administration’s powerful immigration insurance policies, the speedy dismantling of USAID, substantial cuts to international help, and the administration’s strategy towards Ukraine. Final month, Rubio unveiled a plan to scale back the State Division’s U.S.-based workforce by roughly 15 p.c and get rid of or consolidate quite a few places of work, together with a number of international consulates and embassies.
Rubio returned to Washington on Monday after accompanying President Trump on a Center East journey, which notably didn’t embrace a go to to Israel regardless of it being certainly one of Washington’s closest allies. Throughout this era, he additionally labored on advancing ceasefire negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv. Trump’s pleasant overtures to Putin and previous hostility towards Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have prompted concern amongst lawmakers from each events.
The listening to was briefly interrupted by protesters who accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza and had been eliminated by Capitol Police. As Rubio presently serves as each Secretary of State and performing nationwide safety adviser following Trump’s dismissal of Michael Waltz, he doubtless confronted extra questions on his efforts to barter deportation agreements with international locations like El Salvador and the administration’s imaginative and prescient for Gaza, which Trump has steered redeveloping after expelling Palestinians.
