WATCH: Democrat’s Push To Subpoena Marco Rubio Backfires Immediately

A fiery clash erupted on Capitol Hill Wednesday over the Trump administration’s handling of the Iran conflict after Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) attempted to subpoena Secretary of State Marco Rubio—only to be quickly shut down and called out by Republicans in a heated exchange that didn’t go his way.

During the tense House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, Meeks pushed to compel testimony from Rubio and other key officials tied to the administration’s Iran strategy, arguing that lawmakers and the public deserve greater transparency. But the effort quickly fell flat, with Republicans firing back that the answers he’s demanding are already available in classified briefings he has a track record of missing, setting off a sharp back-and-forth.

Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) fired back, accusing Meeks of calling for answers he has not consistently pursued—particularly by missing classified briefings where those answers are often provided.

“Feel free to attend any one of our fly-in day classified briefings, which you basically don’t attend at all,” Mast said. “You showed up 45 minutes late to that. Had you been on time, you might know a little bit more.”

“I’d also encourage you… you might want to take a few notes because clearly you’re forgetting every single thing that they’ve told you,” Mast jabbed, referencing multiple classified sessions with top officials, including Rubio and intelligence leadership.

Meeks pushed back, disputing the number and usefulness of those briefings and arguing that the information provided behind closed doors falls short. He maintained that public hearings are necessary to ensure accountability, especially amid what he described as a “war of choice” involving Iran.

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“We need to have public hearings,” Meeks said, insisting that Americans deserve to hear directly from administration officials.

Mast doubled down, delivering one of the most pointed moments of the exchange.

“Attend them on time, maybe consider showing up!” Mast said, drawing reactions in the room. “Hopefully we don’t see any more excuses of why you don’t show up to classified briefings.”

“I can let you know when it happens in advance… you can put it on your calendar,” he added.

The exchange comes as Democrats ramp up calls for more visibility into the administration’s Iran strategy, while Republicans argue that existing classified channels already provide lawmakers with detailed insight without risking sensitive information.

Earlier this month, Meeks and other Democrats pushed for testimony not only from Rubio but also figures such as Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, arguing Congress has a “constitutional responsibility” to understand how the conflict began, what strategy is guiding it, and what the long-term plan looks like.

“The decisions made during this process have now resulted in an unauthorized military conflict with Iran, with profound consequences for the security of the American people, the stability of the Middle East, and global energy markets that directly affect American families,” the Democrats letter stated.

Meanwhile, the conflict itself continues to intensify. The United States has increased its military presence in the region and warned Iran of stronger action if tensions escalate further.

At the same time, the administration has signaled openness to a diplomatic off-ramp, with discussions reportedly involving sanctions relief and limits on Iran’s military capabilities, though Tehran has resisted key terms.

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