US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday defended the Trump administration’s controversial foreign policy direction and cuts to diplomatic funding during his first appearance before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee since taking office.
Facing bipartisan criticism, including from former Senate colleagues who once supported his confirmation but now question his independence from President Donald Trump, Rubio rejected claims that the administration is retreating from global engagement.
He insisted that the proposed changes, including a $20 billion rescission in funding, were intended to streamline and not dismantle American foreign policy.
Rubio told the committee “this is not about withdrawing from the world,” pointing to his international travel since assuming the post in January as evidence of continued diplomatic engagement.“I just hit 18 countries in 18 weeks,“That doesn’t sound like much of a withdrawal,” he added.
The hearing grew contentious at times, with senators pressing Rubio on a range of issues, including the administration’s hardline immigration policies, Trump’s relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the controversial prioritisation of white South African immigrants over other refugee groups.Trump’s administration has blocked mostly non-white refugee admissions from the rest of the world but has begun to resettle Afrikaners, the descendants of mostly Dutch settlers in South Africa, saying they faced discrimination and even genocide.
South Africa’s government denies the allegation of genocide.
Rubio defended the prioritisation of White South Africans for refugee resettlement, calling it a matter of national interest. He described the group as “a small subset” that is “easier to vet”, reported CNN.
In a tense exchange with Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, Rubio did not dismiss the possibility that race plays a role in the resettlement decision. However, he argued that the individuals in question are facing persecution specifically because they are White
