WASHINGTON – Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, once a bitter critic of President-elect Donald Trump, entered his first Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday as a candidate for secretary of state.
Rubio, who has extensive experience on Capitol Hill and in foreign policy circles, appears to be the least controversial of Trump's list of Cabinet members, many of whom lack the qualifications or background typically associated with their nominated posts.
As a foreign policy hawk — particularly on China — Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, appeared to easily win bipartisan support. On Wednesday he appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where he has served for 14 years.
If confirmed as expected, Rubio will be the first Latino to serve as America's top diplomat.
In the past, Rubio has largely aligned himself with long-held Republican views on a multilateral approach to the world, inclusiveness of allies and collective action. On Wednesday, he reiterated Trump's “America First” philosophy.
Rubio said his State Department would be guided by a single goal of “promoting peace abroad and security and prosperity here at home.”
“Putting our core national interests above all else is not isolationism,” Rubio said. “The postwar global order is not only outdated; it is now a weapon used against us.”
China, he said, is the “most powerful” enemy the United States has ever faced, its “closest counterpart” on many fronts, including technology, economics and diplomatic strength.
“We allowed them to get away scot-free… and now we have to deal with the consequences,” he said, arguing that the U.S. must strengthen its own industrial and supply chain capabilities to prevent “total dependence….” . from our safety to our health” about the communist-run nation.
Rubio, who recently voted against an aid package for Ukraine, joined Trump in saying Kiev's war with Russia must end. “Concessions must be made,” he said, by both Russia and Ukraine. Many observers fear that Trump's affinity for Russian President Vladimir Putin will lead him to demand more sacrifices from Ukraine in peace negotiations.
As usual, the hearing was interrupted by heckling from the demonstrators; Rubio joked that he would at least get bilingual demonstrators.
But overall the mood among senators was friendly and there was a lack of confrontation at the previous day's hearing with Fox TV commentator Pete Hegseth, whom Trump had nominated to be defense secretary. Senators questioned Hegseth about his experiences, his drinking, his attitudes toward women in combat roles and the allegations of sexual assault, which he has denied.