Yes, that Marco Rubio.
The Florida senator and freshly minted Secretary of State showed up to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Tuesday swinging like it was 2016 again — only this time, he wasn’t roasting Trump. He was defending him.
In a marathon hearing that had more political shade than a Real Housewives reunion, Rubio backed Trump’s foreign policy moves with the energy of someone who’s already packed for his next overseas flight. (He says he’s visited 18 countries in 18 weeks — and yeah, he’s keeping receipts.)
Rubio’s main message? America’s not backing down. Just tightening the budget belt.
When asked about slashing the State Department’s budget to $28.5 billion — a steep drop — Rubio didn’t flinch. “We’re not retreating,” he told the committee. “We’re reshaping.”
He pitched the new America First Opportunity Fund as the administration’s flashy fix: $2.9 billion to “invest smarter” overseas. According to Reuters, he painted the plan as “leaner, tougher, and more accountable” — like a gym commercial, but for foreign aid.
Then came the fireworks.
Democrats grilled him over controversial policies, like freezing refugee admissions and allegedly favoring white South African Afrikaners in immigration. Rubio didn’t budge. “Evenhandedness is not the goal,” he said, per the Washington Post, adding that U.S. policy should reflect U.S. interests — full stop.
On Russia? No love lost. Rubio said peace talks are happening, sure, but “Russia’s not getting a prize,” paraphrasing comments reported by OPB. The goal is to stop “a war nobody’s winning.”
And on Syria? He was blunt. Without U.S. involvement, the region could spiral — again. “We’ve got to stay in the room,” he said, citing fresh outreach to Syria’s transitional government, according to AP News.
It was Rubio’s big moment. A conservative’s comeback tour. Only this time, he’s not looking to break with Trump. He’s putting on the jersey.
Call it a pivot. Or just politics. Either way, Marco’s back — and he’s all in.