Marco Rubio Second Trump Nominee To Be Interrupted Mid Hearing By Protesters: 'Reject 'Regime Change' Rubio'

Secretary of State nominee Marco Rubio was interrupted during his opening statement on Wednesday. While arguing that the post-World War II order shaped by the United States has served the country well, two people began shouting over him. It was not immediately clear what they said, but one of them could be heard claiming "(...) and we've had forever wars since."

It is the second such incident in two days, as a protester was also removed from Pete Hegseth's confirmation hearing for Secretary of Defense on Tuesday. In his case, Capitol Police removed three protesters in a matter of minutes after each of them started yelling during the hearing. One of them yelled, "You are a misogynist." Hegseth paused as law enforcement stepped in to remove them.

Rubio remained calm while the two protesters were being escorted out and resumed his statement afterwards. He was again interrupted shortly after by a Spanish-speaking protester, claiming "children were being killed in Nicaragua, Cuba and Venezuela."

"I get bilingual protesters," Rubio joked afterwards, a statement received with laughter.

Rubio has consistently taken a hawkish stance on several key foreign policy issues, emphasizing a hardline approach toward countries like China, Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, and Russia.

Initially at odds with Republicans seeking a more isolationist approach, Rubio has recently taken a similar approach to Trump's on Russia's war in Ukraine, calling for the conflict to be brought to a conclusion.

Rubio has been among the most insistent on the need for the United States to be more aggressive with China, referring to the country as "the most powerful adversary the U.S. has faced in living memory." He has championed measures to protect American technology from Chinese influence, such as calling for a national security review of apps like TikTok. He has also pushed for stronger sanctions against China, particularly in response to human rights abuses involving the Uyghur minority in the Easternmost province of Xinjiang.

Regarding Iran, Rubio has also long supported a hardline policy, endorsing tougher sanctions and measures to curb the country's nuclear ambitions. He has called for increased pressure on Iran and its allies in the region, including Hezbollah, and has worked to prevent the U.S. from re-entering the Iran nuclear deal, which he opposed during the Obama administration.
On Venezuela, Rubio has been a vocal critic of Nicolás Maduro's regime. He played a key role in pushing for sanctions against Venezuela and has consistently called for the removal of Maduro, whom he views as a dictator. Despite the suffering caused by sanctions, Maduro remains in power, but Rubio remains steadfast in his support for efforts to undermine his government.

Rubio's stance on Cuba mirrors his position on Venezuela, backing for strong opposition to the Cuban government. He has supported sanctions aimed at weakening the Cuban regime and has criticized any moves to normalize relations with Havana, calling for greater U.S. support for Cuban dissidents.

Originally published on Latin Times

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