Secretary of State Marco Rubio fired back at Sen. Chris Van Hollen after the Maryland Democrat said he regretted voting for Rubio as President Donald Trump’s chief foreign affairs adviser, leading to a fiery exchange during a Senate hearing on Tuesday.
Rubio testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the State Department’s budget proposal when Van Hollen used his time to tear into the State Department for revoking visas of those found disrupting college campuses or committing acts of violence.
“Your campaign of fear and repression is eating away at the foundational values of our democracy,” Van Hollen said, likening Rubio to the era of Sen. Joseph McCarthy. He added, “And I have to tell you directly and personally that I regret voting for you for Secretary of State.”
“First of all, your regret for voting for me confirms I’m doing a good job,” Rubio replied.
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“That’s just a flippant statement, Mr. Secretary,” Van Hollen shot back.
Committee Chairman Jim Risch, R-Idaho, interjected, asking Van Hollen to let Rubio respond to his claims without interruption. When Van Hollen asked if he can, in turn, respond to Rubio, Risch said, “Your time is up, Mr. Senator, and woefully used I might add.”
Rubio continued, saying that in the case of El Salvador, “we deported gang members … including the one you had a margarita with,” referencing Van Hollen’s visit to see deported “Maryland man” Kilmar Abrego Garcia in El Salvador. “And that guy is a human trafficker, and that guy is a gangbanger, and the evidence is going to be clear in the days to come.”
Van Hollen then jumped in, shouting to the chairman that Rubio “can’t make unsubstantiated comments like that.”
“Secretary Rubio should take that testimony to the federal court of the United States because he hasn’t done it under oath,” Van Hollen said before Risch banged the gavel to allow Rubio to continue.
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Rubio continued: “About the student visas, let me say this. I don’t deport anybody and I don’t snatch anybody. The State Department does not have officers in the streets snatching everybody. What I do is revoke visas. And it’s very simple. A visa is not a right. It is a privilege.”
“People apply for student visas to come into the United States and study. And if you tell me you’re coming to the United States to lead campus crusades, to take over libraries, and try to burn down buildings and acts of violence, we’re not going to give you a visa,” he continued.
Van Hollen shot back that Rubio “was just blowing smoke here now.”
Rubio responded: “The bottom line is, if you’re coming here to stir up trouble on our campuses, we will deny you a visa. And if you have a visa, and we find you, we will revoke it.”
Rubio said the Trump administration will continue to revoke the visas of those who are here as guests and are disrupting college campuses.
A senior State Department official reacted to the exchange in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“Once again, Senator Van Hollen proves that he cares more about illegal immigrants than his own constituents,” the senior State Department official said.
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