When Marco Rubio sat down to answer questions from his Senate colleagues on Wednesday, the confirmation hearing — at least for him — was as much about winning their support as it was about convincing Donald Trump’s most rabid supporters that he’s one of them.
“Under President Trump, the top priority of the United States Department of State will be the United States,” Rubio said in his opening statement about his nomination to serve as secretary of state. “The dollars of hardworking American taxpayers will always be spent wisely, and our power will always be wielded prudently and towards what is best for America and Americans before anything and everything else.”
If that “America First” worldview wasn’t clear enough, Rubio’s team also previewed his priorities on Tuesday night, when the far-right news outlet Breitbart published an early look at his remarks.
“Marco Rubio to Shred Globalists in Confirmation Hearing,” the site announced, touting the news as an exclusive.
But if Rubio wanted to be seen as a firebrand challenging the status quo on Wednesday, his peers didn’t make it easy for him. Senators from both parties just really like Rubio — as a friend, colleague and future secretary of state. And on plenty of foreign policy issues, they agree with him.
“I believe you have the skills and are well qualified to serve as secretary of state,” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, told Rubio.
“The president made a great decision in choosing you,” Sen. Cory Booker, a New Jersey Democrat, added. “I’m happy to see you there. You’re a thought leader in foreign policy.”
Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine, too, described Rubio as an “extremely well prepared” nominee with a broad understanding of the world, and said he was “gratified” to see him selected for the role.
And Sen. Jeff Merkley, an Oregon Democrat, told Rubio he has enjoyed working with him on the Congressional-Executive Commission on China. He asked a layup question, revealing their agreement on a key issue: Would Rubio support Taiwan’s ability to have a voice on the international stage, and does he want to keep arming Taiwan to deter an attack by the Chinese government? (Yes, and yes.)
During the hearing, senators delved into topics ranging from North Korea to Israel to the humanitarian crisis in Sudan to Russia’s war in Ukraine to America’s relationship with island nations in the Indo-Pacific. It was evident throughout the conversation that Rubio, for all his rhetoric embracing Trump’s style of politics, is still Rubio. He raised alarms about dictators and authoritarians who threaten the United States — people Trump has often praised in the past. He indicated he wants to protect Ukraine’s democracy in future peace talks with Russia and to prevent Vladimir Putin from launching another invasion in the future. He said America is facing a “generational global crisis” to “create a free world out of the chaos.”
“This will not be easy. And it will be impossible without a strong and confident America that engages in the world,” Rubio said — before adding that the United States still must place “our core national interests, once again, above all else.”
Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy’s questions prompted one of the sharpest moments of disagreement during the hearing, although even that interaction was amiable compared to Democrats’ questioning of defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth a day earlier.
Trump “and his family have become more deeply dependent on revenue from governments in the Middle East,” Murphy observed. “Never before in the history of this country has a president been literally receiving cash from foreign governments, and from foreign companies that are backed by foreign governments, in the middle of their term.”
Murphy wondered: Does Rubio see how this fundamentally compromises American diplomatic efforts in the region?
Rubio avoided answering that question directly. He said he didn’t have insight into those business arrangements and pledged that the government’s foreign policy efforts would be driven by whether actions are in U.S. interests, not by Trump’s real estate business.
Another point of concern focused on the State Department’s funding. Democrats said they hope Trump’s team doesn’t slash the department’s budget, arguing the country needs more diplomats to confront challenges around the world today. Rubio responded to questions from Sen. Chris Coons on that topic by saying efficiency improvements aren’t only cuts to save money, but also changes to improve performance. Rubio said he hopes infusing more technology into the department’s work could speed up customer service for issuing passports and helping stranded American travelers.
Rubio also leaned into his past work on human rights. He demonstrated he’s been following the case of 48 Uyghur refugees who are in danger of being deported from Thailand back to China, where they would face persecution.
“This is not some obscure issue,” Rubio said of those refugees. “These are people who are basically being rounded up because of their ethnicity and their religion, and they are being put in camps.”
Senators from both parties have told NOTUS they expect Rubio to be confirmed easily. Republicans unanimously expressed support for him during Wednesday’s hearing, and multiple Democrats appeared likely to vote for him, though he only needs a simple majority to be confirmed.
Being nominated for the role is “an incredible honor,” Rubio said. “It is also, as many of you have already pointed out, an extraordinary responsibility.”
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Haley Byrd Wilt is a reporter at NOTUS.