‘I do not really feel extra affluent… I do not really feel safer’: Senator Shaheen rips into Rubio as Trump’s international coverage defender faces congressional grilling

Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the Trump administration’s international coverage method throughout a contentious Senate Overseas Relations Committee listening to on Tuesday. Rubio, presenting the administration’s 2026 State Division funds, confronted sharp criticism from Democratic lawmakers who questioned the numerous cuts to international help packages and the closing of the U.S. Company for Worldwide Growth. The previous Republican senator insisted that regardless of these adjustments, america just isn’t making an attempt to “withdraw from the world.”

Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the committee’s prime Democrat, led the criticism in opposition to Rubio’s testimony. The New Hampshire senator accused the administration of losing tens of millions moderately than reaching its promised financial savings and deceptive the general public about humanitarian assist supply. In response to The Washington Put up, Shaheen straight confronted Rubio, stating, “I don’t really feel extra affluent… I don’t really feel safer,” whereas expressing concern about “American flags coming down around the globe.” 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 steadily than seeing his personal youngsters. Rubio maintained that each sanction in opposition to Russia carried out 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 robust supporter of international assist 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 fast dismantling of USAID, substantial cuts to international help, and the administration’s method towards Ukraine. Final month, Rubio unveiled a plan to scale back the State Division’s U.S.-based workforce by roughly 15 % and eradicate 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 embody a go to to Israel regardless of it being one in every 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 have been eliminated by Capitol Police. As Rubio presently serves as each Secretary of State and appearing nationwide safety adviser following Trump’s dismissal of Michael Waltz, he probably confronted further 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 urged redeveloping after expelling Palestinians.