Secretary of State Marco Rubio was asked over and over again whether there was any justification for the arrest of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, and Rubio could not cite a single piece of evidence that Khalil had committed any crimes or was actually supporting terrorism:
Which is exactly what it is. Here’s the shameful exchange between Rubio and Face the Nation host Margaret Brennan, with lots of angry word salad by Rubio in response to Brennan’s questions:
MARGARET BRENNAN: I want to ask you about a decision you made to revoke a student visa for someone at Columbia University this past week. The Wall Street Journal editorial board writes, “the administration needs to be careful, it’s targeting real promoters of terrorism not breaking the great promise of a green card by deporting anyone with controversial political views.” Can you substantiate any form of material support for terrorism–
SECRETARY RUBIO: Yes.
MARGARET BRENNAN: –specifically to Hamas, from this Columbia student–
SECRETARY RUBIO: Yes.
MARGARET BRENNAN: –or was it simply that he was espousing a controversial political point of view?
SECRETARY RUBIO: Well, not just the student, we’re going to do more. In fact, we- every day now we’re approving visa revocations, and if that visa led to a green card, the green card process as well and here’s why, it’s very simple. When you apply to enter the United States and you get a visa, you are a guest, and you’re coming as a student, you’re coming as a tourist, or what have you. And in it, you have to make certain assertations and if you tell us when you apply for a visa, I’m coming to the U.S. to participate in pro-Hamas events, that runs counter to the foreign policy interest of the United States of America. It’s that simple. So, you lied. You came- if you had told us that you were going to do that, we never would have given you the visa. Now you’re here. Now you do it. You lied to us. You’re out. It’s that simple. It’s that straight forward.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But, is there any- but is there any evidence of a–
SECRETARY RUBIO: Yes. Sure.
MARGARET BRENNAN: –link to terrorism, or is it just his point of view?
SECRETARY RUBIO: Yeah, they take over. I mean, do you not- I mean, you should watch the news. These guys take over entire buildings–
[CROSSTALK]
MARGARET BRENNAN: We covered it intensely. I’m asking about the specific–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –They vandalized colleges. They shut down colleges–
SECRETARY RUBIO: –well then you should know that this is–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –justification for the revocation of his visa–
SECRETARY RUBIO: Well, this specific individual was the spokesperson–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –was there any evidence the materials support for terrorism?
SECRETARY RUBIO: –was the negotiator- on negotiating on behalf of people that took over a campus? That vandalized buildings? Negotiating over what? That’s a crime in and of itself, that they’re involved in the being the negotiator, the spokesperson, this that the other. We don’t want- we don’t need these people in our country that we never should have allowed them in in the first place. If he had told us, I’m going over there, and I’m going over there to become the spokesperson and one of the leaders of a movement that’s going to turn one of your allegedly elite colleges upside down, people can’t even go to school, library buildings being vandalized. We never would have let him in. We never would have let him in to begin with. And now that he’s doing it and he’s here, he’s going to leave, and so are others, and we’re going to keep doing it. We’re here- and by the way, I find it ironic that a lot of these people out there defending the First Amendment speech, alleged free speech rights of these Hamas–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SECRETARY RUBIO: –sympathizers, they had no problem, okay, pressuring social media to censor American political speech. So it’s, I think it’s ironic and hypocritical. But the bottom line is this, if you are in this country, to promote Hamas, to promote terrorist organizations, to participate in vandalism, to participate in acts of rebellion and riots on campus. We never would have let you in if we had known that and now that we know it, you’re going to leave.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Is it only pro-Palestinian people who are going to have their visas remote- revoked, or other points of view as well?
SECRETARY RUBIO: No, I think anybody who’s here in favor- look, we want to get rid of Tren de Aragua gang members. They’re terrorists too. We, the president, designated them, asked me to designate and I did, as a terrorist organization. We want to get rid of them as well. You’re- we don’t want terrorists in America. I don’t know how hard that is to understand. We want people- we don’t want people in our country that are going to be committing crimes and undermining our national security or the public safety. It’s that simple, especially people that are here as guests. That is what a visa is. I don’t know what we’ve gotten it in our head that a visa is some sort of birthright. It is not. It is a visitor into our country, and if you violate the terms of your visitation, you are going to leave.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay. Secretary Rubio, like to have you back. Talk to you about a lot more on your plate another time, but we have to leave it there.
