Marco Rubio clashes with NBC 'Today' host when pressed on Trump's Jan. 6 pardons
Secretary of State Marco Rubio got into a tense exchange with NBC's "Today" show on Tuesday after one of the network's hosts repeatedly asked him about President Trump's sweeping Jan. 6 pardons.
Following a quick introduction, NBC immediately played a 2021 clip of Rubio condemning the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
"Vladimir Putin loved everything that happened here today because what happened is better than anything he could have ever come up with to make us look like we're falling apart," he said at the time.
After the video ended, NBC host Craig Melvin asked Rubio what message the pardons send to the rest of the world.
Rubio replied that he would not "engage in domestic political debates" with the media and could not in his role as the head of the State Department.
"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 later added.
Melvin again pressed Rubio on the pardons—questioning if Trump's decision would give the now freed defendants incentive to foment a future attack.
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"I think it's unfortunate, you know, our first engagement as I agree to come on this morning with you. I'm going to be working on foreign policy issues, and you want to revisit these issues that are going on in domestic politics. I'm just—it's not going to happen," Rubio said. "If you have questions for me about foreign policy and engaging in the world, I'd be happy to talk to you about those."
Rubio similarly stressed his "singular" focus on foreign policy when asked about the pardons on "CBS Mornings" and ABC's "Good Morning America."
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Trump pardoned nearly all Jan. 6 defendants on Monday night after promising at his inaugural parade to sign an executive order on the matter.
Sitting at the Resolute desk in the Oval Office, Trump signed off on releasing more than 1,500 charged with crimes stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the U.S. Capitol. The order requires the Federal Bureau of Prisons to act immediately on receipt of the pardons.
Fox News' Diana Stancy and Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.