Florida’s Republican Sen. Marco Rubio sailed through his confirmation hearing with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday, all but assuring he will assume the role of top diplomat under the new Trump administration later this month.
Rubio’s confirmation hearing — a process usually full of verbal diatribes, strong political agendas and illusive answers — was full of pleasantries, with both Democratic and Republican lawmakers applauding his work in the Senate and his in-depth knowledge of complex issues across the globe.
Here were the top moments from Rubio’s hearing.
RUBIO TO PITCH FOREIGN POLICY CREDENTIALS TO SENATE AS HE VIES TO BECOME AMERICA’S TOP DIPLOMAT
PROTESTERS
While Rubio may have been welcomed by his Senate colleagues, his hearing wasn’t entirely contention-free.
The secretary of state-hopeful’s opening remarks were interrupted by several protesters affiliated with a group known as Code Pink, who were protesting the Israel-Hamas war and wore pink shirts that read “stop killing the children of Gaza.”
Two of the demonstrators forced to leave the chamber were male, before a female protester also stood up and yelled out in Spanish.
She was quickly escorted from the room and the hearing promptly restarted.
“I get bilingual protesters,” Rubio said to the panel of senators with a grin before resuming his remarks.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., sailed through his confirmation hearing with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images)
IN JEST
Rubio’s quip about the protesters appeared to set the tone for his hearing.
Though Rubio faced tough questions about detailed geopolitical issues on nearly every continent, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle also joked around with their Senate colleague.
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., introduced Rubio at the top of the hearing and quipped that “finally” he will get to be the senior senator of Florida after the duo have served together in the upper chamber since 2019.
Sen. Cory Booker , D-N.J., drew chuckles when he said, “Sen. Rubio, the President [elect] made a great decision in choosing you. You’re a thought leader in foreign policy. I, however, don’t think most Americans know how great of a thought leader you are in NCAA, NFL and high school football, and I’m a little disappointed that you’re not going to the head of the NCAA right now.”
To which Rubio replied, “Not yet,” garnering laughs from the room.
In another bipartisan moment rarely seen…
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