Rubio defends Trump's foreign Policy amid Senate Scrutiny

Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the foreign policy of the Trump administration before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, stating that severe cuts to foreign aid and shutting down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) were not signs of the U.S. withdrawing from the world, but rather reorienting to support U.S. interests. Rubio mentioned that he is addressing narratives of withdrawal by showing he and senior officials had been active diplomatically, which included visiting 18 different countries in 18 weeks.

Following statements from Rubio, the committee's senior Democrat, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, pushed back on the assertions Rubio made regarding the administration misleading people about humanitarian aid supporting continuity and that decisions had lost leverage to Russian President Vladimir Putin. She highlighted the issues the administration faced with brokering ceasefires in Ukraine, and concerns of influence being shifted away from the U.S. ambassador on the global stage.

ALSO SEE: JCPenney reedefines its future: Strategic Store closures mark a turning point for the Retail giant

Rubio’s shift: Immigration stance and Gaza controversy in Trump’s foreign Policy

Earlier a supporter of foreign aid and traditional partnerships, Rubio is closely aligned with President Trump on the straightforward and transactional foreign policy approach. This approach included supporting draconian immigration policies, cutting diplomatic staff and merging consulates and embassies, and following the firing of Michael Waltz as acting national security adviser formally when he took on that role to sharpen the influence on the administration's foreign policy direction.

The criticism of the administration in negotiations with countries like El Salvador to take back U.S. deportees and the administration's clear stance on the Gaza Strip also caught attention. At the hearing, those protesting claimed human rights abuses in Gaza, and debated whether the administration's foreign policy direction was taking us into uncharted territory.

ALSO SEE: Rep. LaMonica McIver charged after Newark ICE protest; Mayor Baraka’s trespassing charge dropped

Rubio defends Russia Policy amid Bipartisan concerns over U.S. foreign strategy

Rubio's defense of the administration's posture on Russia included claims that no sanctions have been lifted and that the U.S. is able to exercise the same leverage as under the previous administration. However, Rubio's somewhat amicable posture towards Russian President Vladimir Putin and the administration's management of the Russia-Ukraine conflict has raised eyebrows among Democrats and Republicans alike.

The hearing also illustrated the ways in which U.S. foreign policy has become more polarized. Democrats questioned the administration's commitment to its traditional relationships and humanitarian values, while Republicans largely supported Rubio's commentary on the administration's strategic-adjustment. Moving forward, as the administration implements its foreign policy agenda, the toll these changes will have or their success will continue to be challenged.