When Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) attacked Secretary of State Marco Rubio Tuesday for the Trump Administration’s immigration policies, Rubio returned fire by chiding the senator for his embrace of illegal alien gang members – particularly one Democrats are presenting as a poster child in support of illegal immigration.
At a Senate committee meeting intended to address the State Department’s budget proposal, Hollen used his time to smear Rubio, accusing him of a “campaign of fear and repression eating away at the foundation values of our democracy.”
“We deported gang members – gang members – including the one you had a margarita with," Rubio said, referencing Van Hollen’s visit trip to El Salvador to meet with deported MS-13 gang Kilmar Abrego Garcia, during which a photo of him drinking margaritas with Garcia went viral. The photo was made public by El Salvador's president.
"And that guy is a human trafficker, and that guy is a gangbanger, and the evidence is going to be clear in the days to come," Sec. Rubio said.
Van Hollen continued to interrupt and attack Rubio, prompting Committee Chairman Jim Risch (R-Idaho) to demand the Democrat allow Rubio to finish his remarks:
“Your time is up, and woefully used I might add. Your remarks do not represent the views of this committee.”
“Here’s another point, okay,” Rubio continued:
“There is a division in our government, between the federal branch and the judicial branch. No judge in the judicial branch cannot tell me or the president how to conduct foreign policy.”
“I have to tell you directly and personally that I regret voting for you for Secretary of State," Sen. Hollen said at one point.
“Your regret for voting for me confirms I’m doing a good job,” the secretary of state responded.