Rubio made his first media appearances Tuesday after being confirmed to become secretary of state, speaking to NBC and CBS about the nation’s future of foreign policy.
But when NBC host Craig Melvin pressed Rubio to address President Donald Trump’s Day One pardons, the secretary became frustrated.
“I hope you guys all understand that my days, at least in the time at the Department of State, of engaging in domestic politics will be put aside as I focus on the affairs the United States has around the world and the engagements we have to have to make our country a safer, stronger, more prosperous place,” he told NBC.
He called the network’s insistence on questioning him about the Jan. 6 pardons and other domestic issues “unfortunate” given his new focus on the State Department.
“I’m going to be working on foreign policy issues, and you want to revisit these issues that are going on in domestic politics … it’s not going to happen,” Rubio told NBC. “If you have questions for me about foreign policy and engaging in the world, I’d be happy to talk to you about those.”
A similar tension was present in his interview with CBS, where hosts once again began the discussion by asking Rubio what he was “thinking” about the Jan. 6 pardons.
“What I’m thinking is that I used to be a United States senator until midnight last night and now I’m about to be sworn in as the Secretary of State of the United States, and that’s what I’m thinking,” Rubio responded.
He continued: “I work for Donald J. Trump, the new president of the United States, the 47th president, who has a clear mandate to reorient our foreign policy to one that once again puts America and our interests at the center. And that’s what I’m going to focus on 100%.”
The Senate unanimously voted to confirm Rubio on Monday, Day One of the Trump administration.
The smooth confirmation process is a testament to bipartisan support for Rubio as a veteran of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
“Sen. Rubio is an example of a qualified nominee we think should be confirmed quickly,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said. “While I do not always agree on his positions, in this instance, it’s important for the new administration to have a Senate-confirmed secretary of state as soon as possible.”
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He is the first member of Trump’s Cabinet to be confirmed and the first person of Latino heritage to serve as secretary of state.
“My entire life and career is influenced by the fact that my parents came here on May 27, 1956 — they didn’t have anything except dreams of a better life,” Rubio told CBS. “And the dream of their life was to give their kids the chance to do whatever they wanted.”
