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January 16, 2025

Secretary of State Nominee Marco Rubio Defends Trump's "America First" Foreign Policy
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Senator Marco Rubio, Trump's pick for secretary of state, also faced a
confirmation hearing Wednesday, receiving a warm welcome from his fellow
senators as he expressed support for NATO, backed Trump's "America
First" approach to foreign policy and diplomacy, and repeatedly warned
of threats posed by China, which he called a "dangerous near-peer
adversary."

Sen. Marco Rubio: "If we don't change course, we are going to live in a
world where much of what matters to us on a daily basis, from our
security to our health, will be dependent on whether the Chinese allow
us to have it or not. That's an unacceptable outcome."

Activists with Code Pink disrupted Rubio's hearing. As they were removed
from the session, protesters yelled, "Marco Rubio's sanctions are
killing kids in Nicaragua, Cuba and Venezuela!" They also condemned his
staunch support of Israel, shouting out, "You can't be a warmonger and a
diplomat!"


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