The confrontation occurred during a televised interview, where Rubio was questioned about the President's decision to pardon nearly 1,600 individuals involved in the January 6 riots on his first day in office.
NBC's Craig Melvin, the host, reminded Rubio of his previous statement, made while he was a serving Senator, in which he described the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol as one of the nation's darkest days. Melvin then played a clip from four years ago, where Rubio condemned the violence that ensued during the insurrection. "Vladimir Putin loved everything that happened today because what happened is better than anything he could ever come up with to make us look like we're falling apart," Rubio had stated at the time.
DEMOCRAT REP. CALLS TRUMP'S ADMINISTRATION “WHITE SUPREMACISTS”
January 22, 2025
When questioned about the global implications of pardoning the January 6 rioters, Rubio responded, "Well we're going to focus on what makes America stronger and more prosperous and safer." He further clarified that his role in the State Department prevents him from engaging in domestic political debates, emphasizing his focus on foreign policy, which he termed as the most straightforward policy in modern times.
WATCH: TAXPAYER DOLLARS ARE SPENT ON ANIMAL EXPERIMENTS
Despite Melvin's insistence on discussing the potential for future unrest at the U.S. Capitol, Rubio maintained his stance. "I think it's unfortunate you know, our first engagement as I agree to come on this morning with you, I'm going to be working on foreign policy issues, and you want to revisit these issues that are going on in domestic politics... it's not going to happen," Rubio retorted. He then invited NBC to discuss foreign policy matters.
VICE PRESIDENT VANCE GIVES POWERFUL SPEECH AT MUNICH SECURITY CONFERENCE—WATCH!
Rubio, a former critic turned ally of Trump, was confirmed as Secretary of State shortly after Trump's inauguration, with a unanimous confirmation vote of 99 to 0. His appointment was widely anticipated, given his rapport with former colleagues across the political spectrum.
WATCH: ADAM SCHIFF GOES OFF ON SHOCKING TIRADE AGAINST THIS TRUMP PICK!
Following the tense exchange, the conversation shifted to foreign policy, with Rubio addressing the ongoing war in Ukraine. "I think what the president has made very clear is that the war needs to end," he stated, affirming the U.S.'s commitment to promoting global peace. Rubio described the conflict in Ukraine as a complex issue instigated by Russia, and emphasized the U.S.'s official stance that the war must end. "We're going to do everything possible to bring that about," he assured.
TRUMP SHAKES UP HISTORY! A MOVE NOT SEEN IN 20 YEARS...
However, Rubio also noted that achieving peace would require concessions from all parties involved. In response to Melvin's query about the message sent to potential aggressors if Russia faced no repercussions for invading Ukraine, Rubio countered that Russia has indeed faced 'crippling sanctions from all over the world.' He also highlighted the significant loss of life, rampant inflation, and failure to seize Ukraine as further consequences faced by Russia. Rubio concluded by describing the current situation as a stalemate, with Ukraine suffering extensive damage.