Sen. Chris Van Hollen Tells Secretary Of State Marco Rubio He Regrets Voting To Confirm Him

On Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended President Donald Trump’s foreign policy during a Senate hearing. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland) said he regrets voting for Rubio to be Secretary of State, which started a series of bitter exchanges between the two.

Van Hollen said he believed Rubio would support global democracy and human rights in his new role. He pointed out that since Rubio took the position of Secretary of State, he has not done any of the things he promised to do.

Rubio defended the significant budget cuts made during Trump’s second term and funding cuts in programs such as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

Van Hollen pointed out that these cuts have led to deaths globally in places such as Sudan due to the closure of emergency food kitchens. Van Hollen also criticized Rubio’s involvement with allowing white Afrikaners from South Africa to qualify for U.S. refugee status and speeding up their resettlement in the U.S. He pointed out the contradiction of the Trump administration blocking many refugees who have been previously approved for entering the country.

In response, Rubio proceeded to ridicule Van Hollen’s trip to El Salvador to meet Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man whom the Trump administration has acknowledged that they deported accidentally. Rubio proceeded to state that Garcia was a gang member, despite Garcia’s lawyers disputing the claim.

During the exchange, Republican members of the Senate expressed support for Rubio while Democratic members criticized Rubio’s involvement with the administration’s foreign policies. 

Ranking member Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire) criticized how the administration has handled the Russia-Ukraine war. On Monday, Trump had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which failed to produce a ceasefire. Rubio defended the administration, stating that it is continuing to pressure Russia and aid Ukraine.