Secretary of State Marco Rubio got into a tense exchange with NBC’s “Today” show on Tuesday after one of the network’s hosts repeatedly asked him about President Trump’s sweeping pardon on Jan. 6.
After a quick introduction, NBC immediately played a clip of Rubio from 2021 condemning the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
“Vladimir Putin loved everything that happened here today, because what happened is better than anything he could have ever thought of to make us look like we’re breaking up,” he said at the time.
After the video ended, NBC anchor Craig Melvin asked Rubio what message the apologies send to the rest of the world.
Rubio responded that he would not “engage in internal political debates” with the media and could not in his role as head of the State Department.
“I hope you all understand that my days — at least during my time at the State Department — of being involved in domestic politics will be put aside as I focus on the issues the United States has around the world and the commitments we have to we must make our country a safer, stronger and more prosperous country,” he added later.
Melvin again pressed Rubio on the pardons — asking whether Trump’s decision would give the now-freed defendants incentive to mount a future attack.
“I think it’s a pity, you know, our first engagement since I agree to come this morning with you. I will be working on foreign policy issues, and you want to review these issues that are happening in domestic policy. It’s just — it’s not going to happen,” Rubio said. “If you have questions for me about foreign policy and engagement in the world, I’ll be happy to talk to you about them.”
Rubio similarly emphasized his “sole” focus on foreign policy when asked about apologies on “CBS Mornings” and ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
Trump pardoned nearly all of the Jan. 6 defendants on Monday night, after promising at his inaugural parade to sign an executive order on the matter.
Sitting at the Resolute desk in the Oval Office, Trump signed the release of more than 1,500 people charged with crimes stemming from the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol. The order requires the Federal Bureau of Prisons to act immediately upon receiving the pardons.
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