Politics
WATCH: Marco Rubio Expertly Smacks Down Tim Kaine’s Race-Baiting Screed
Secretary of State Marco Rubio got into a heated verbal fistfight with Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine over allegations of racial bias in U.S. immigration policy on Tuesday. A particularly touchy part of the debate centers around the treatment of white Afrikaner farmers hailing from South Africa.
Kaine questioned the Trump administration’s choice to give priority to Afrikaner refugees. “Can you have a different standard based upon the color of somebody’s skin?”
Rubio, not missing a beat, immediately fired back, saying, “I’m not the one arguing that. Apparently, you are because you don’t like the fact that they’re white.”
The exchange between the two men shines a spotlight on the administration’s stance on the controversial land exploration policies of South Africa. Critics have ripped into these policies over their targeting of white farmers.
In February, President Donald Trump signed an executive order suspending aid to South Africa and promoting the resettlement of Afrikaner refugees in the United States, citing concerns over race-based discrimination.
It was this policy that Rubio was defending during the hearing, placing emphasis on the government’s right to be selective in who it allows within its borders for security and humanitarian reasons. He made the case that the actions of the current administration were in response to specific instances of persecution.
WATCH:
The hearing also covered other aspects of Trump’s foreign policy. Rubio tackled criticisms concerning cuts to foreign aid and the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development.
The secretary of state asserted that the moves were part of a strategy to boost America’s reputation on the geopolitical stage and to focus on core national interests.
Democrat senators are worried that these policies will undermine the country’s standing internationally and lead to adversaries such as China gaining more influence. However, Rubio shot that argument down, claiming the policy change was necessary to recalibrate foreign policy priorities.
Administration officials want these policies to be in line with the “America First” doctrine of the president, which places our own national interests above those of a globalist agenda.
While Democrats lobbed questions designed to blow holes in these policies, Rubio managed to stay cool, calm, and collected. He provided a solid defense for the policies while also offering pragmatic responses to challenges on the global stage.
According to The Washington Post, the hearing gave Rubio an opportunity to flesh out the foreign policy vision of the administration. The article stated that while the disagreements were pointed, the exchanges also shined a spotlight on how Trump and his team are truly prioritizing American values and national security.
