https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5goRUiviWI
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Tuesday questioned U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at a hearing on President Trump’s Fiscal Year 2026 skinny budget request for the U.S. Department of State. Murphy challenged Rubio on the administration’s misleading foreign aid claims and raised serious concerns about Trump’s ongoing business ties with foreign governments, warning they undermine U.S. national security.
Transcript
HERE.
CHAIR RISCH: SENATOR MURPHY.
SEN. MURPHY: THANK YOU FOR BEING
HERE.
I JUST ASKED THAT AT THIS
HEARING YOU BOTH WE CONSIDER A
CLAIM THAT THE PERFORMING
STATEMENT.
IT WOULD SHOCK AMERICANS TO HEAR
THAT ONLY 12% OF OUR FOREIGN AID
REACHES RECIPIENTS ON THE GROUND
AND THE PEOPLE WHO NEED THE
HELP.
THAT IS NOT ACTUALLY AN ACCURATE
NUMBER.
THAT IS THE AMOUNT OF AID THAT
GOES DIRECTLY TO LOCAL GROUPS ON
THE GROUND BUT MOST OF OUR AID
RUNS THROUGH BIGGER
ORGANIZATIONS.
THE CHILDREN, THOSE ENTITIES ARE
GETTING 80%, 85% OF THE AID WE
GIVE THEM DIRECTLY TO RECIPIENTS
ON THE GROUND.
WHAT YOU HAVE DONE TO SHUTTER
USAID IS ILLEGAL BUT I THINK IT
IS BAD POLICY AND IT IS
IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE ORATING
WITH THE SAME SET OF FACTS.
THE FACT IS NOT THAT ONLY 12% OF
TAXPAYER DOLLARS ARE ENDING UP
IN THE HANDS OF THE PEOPLE WHO
REALLY NEED IT OTHE GROUND.
MR. SECRETARY, I WANTED TO TALK
TO YOU ABOUT THE PRESIDENTS
PERSONAL BUSINESS INTERESTS.
DURING HIS FIRST TERM HE MADE
THE DECISION TO NOT ENTER INTO
ANY NEW BUSINESS DEALS DURING
HI PRESIDENCY THAT TRUMP
AFFILIATED BUSINESSES WOULD NOT
ENTER ANY FOREIGN BUSINESS
ARRANGEMENTS AND THAT MADE SENSE
BECAUSE IT CAN BE CONFUSING FOR
FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS TO KNOW HOW
TO WIN FAVOR WITH THE U.S.
GOVERNMENT IF THEY HAVE ONE
ROUTE MAKING CONCESSNS GOOD
FOR U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY AND
ANOTHER ROUTE WHICH IS PERHAPS
HELPING THE PRESIDENTS BUSINESS
INTERESTS.
E PRESIDENT OBVIOUSLY CHANGED
THAT POLICY.
IN THIS ADMINISTRATION'S
BUSINESS INTERESTS ARE
ANNOUNCING NEW AGREEMENTS AND
NEW INVESTMENTS INTO THOSE
BUSINESS INTERESTS BY FOREIGN
GOVERNMENTS.
IT STANDS TO REASON THAT THAT
CREATES A PROBLEM FOR FOREIGN
POLICY AND A PROBLEM FOR FOREIGN
GOVERNMENTS IN WHICH THEY DON'T
KNOW WHAT THE BEST WAY IS TO GET
ON GOOD TERMS WITH THE U.S.
GOVERNMENT AND THE WHITE HOUSE.
IS IT TO DO WT'S RIGHT FOR
AMERICA NATIONAL SECURITY OR
MIGHT IT ALSO NEED TO DO A
BUSINESS DEAL WITH THE PRESIDENT
AND THE ENTITIES HE CONTROLS?
JUST TO CLARIFY, WHEN THE
PRESIDENTS BUSINESSES ARE
ENGAGEE
UAE FOR INSTANCE ON THEIR
STABLE: BUSINESS.
THERE WAS THIS BIG ABASEMENT
ANNOUNCED RECENTLY, YOU ARE NOT
PART OF THOSE NEGOTIATIONS.
THOSE ARE BEING DONE BY THE
PRESIDENTS FAMILY OR THOSE
REPRESENTING THE PRESIDENT?
SEC. RUBIO: I AM NOT AWAR THAT
THE PRESIDENT IS WILD IN
MANAGING ANY BUSINESS OTHER THAN
D
STATES.
HIS FAMILY IS ALLOWED TO MAKE
BUSINESS DEALS.
THEY CONTINUE TO OPERATE THE
ENTERPRISE THIS -- ENTERPRISES.
I DON'T ACCEPT THE NOTION THAT
THESE DEALS IN QATAR HAS TO DO
WITH THE PRESIDENT.
QATAR BOUGHT FROM BOEING.
BOTH BILLS WERE INVOLVED WITH
INVESTMENTS IN THE UNITED STATES
AND/OR INVESTMENTS IN THE UAE OR
SAUDI ARABIA.
SEN. MURPHY: UAE DID ANNOUNCE A
MASSIVE INVESTMENT IN RURAL
LIBERTY FINANAL WHICH IS
CONTROLLED BY THE PRESIDENT AND
THE PRESIDENT ACTIVELY ENGAGES
IN THESE BUSINESS.
HE USES HIS SOCIAL MEDIA TO
MARKET THE BUSINESS IS BEINRUN
BY HIS FAMILY.
HE WAS GOING TO HIS SOCIAL MEDIA
FEED AND YOU WILL SEE HIM
MARKETING HIS MAIN POINT.
-- HIS MEME COIN.
SEC. RUBIO: THAT WAS NOT AN
ANNOCEMENT AS PART OF HIS
VISIT TO THE MIDDLE EAST.
SEN. MURPHY: WE ARE OBVIOUSLY
BUSINESS DEALS BEING DONE
BETWEEN TRUMP ENTITIES AND THESE
COUNTRIES.
LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT THE ONE
THAT IS MOST CONFUSING TO THIS
COMMITTEE WHICH IS THE PLANNED
GIFT OF A PLANE TO EITHER THE
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT OR THE
PRESIDENT.
IS IT YOUR UNDERSTANDING THAT
THIS LUXURY PLANE THAT QATAR HAS
OFFERED THE PRESIDENT AND THE
PRESIDENT HAS ANNOUNCED HE IS
WILLING TO ACCEPT IT AS A GIFT
TO THE U.S. GOVERNMENT OR IS IT
A GIFT ULTIMATY TO THE
PRESIDENT HIMSELF THAT HE CAN
USE?
SEC. RUBIO: YOU WOULD HAVE TO
TALK TO THE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE
THIS IS A TEMPORARY PLANE FOR
AIR FORCE ONE,HE NEW AIR FORCE
ONE WHICH IS WAY OFF OF ITS
DELIVERY SCHEDULE.
AT WOULD BE WITH THE AIR
FORCE.
THEY OPERATE AIR FORCE ONE.
MY UNDERSTANDING OF IT HAS BEEN
FROM THE VERY BEGINNING AT
THIS PLANE WAS IDENTIFIED AFTER
TALKING TO BOEING ABOUT WHAT
OTHER PLANES AROUND THE WORLD
COULD BE USED NOW.
THEY IDENTIFIED THE ONES THAT
QATAR HAD AS AN OPPORTUNITY AND
AS A RESULT THE UAE HAS AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR ONE.
SEN. MURPHY: IS NOT YOUR
UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PLANE
WILL BELONG TO THE PRESIDENT OR
TO THE PRESIDENTS LIBRARY AFTER?
SEC. RUBIO: I AM NOT INVOLVED AT
THAT LEVEL.
I HAVE NEVER HEARD THAT BEFORE.
DEFINITELY WILL REPLACE AIR
FORCE ONE WHICH IS AN AIR FORCE
PLANE.
SEN. MURPHY: REALLY ASKOU
ABOUT THE DINNER HAVING THURSDAY
NIGHT.
THE PRESIDENT HAS OFFERED ACCESS
TO HIM TO THE 200 TOP PURCHASERS
OF HIS MEME COIN.
REPORTS ARE THAT HALF OR MORE OF
THOSE INDIVIDUALS MEING WITH
HIM IN A VIP RECEPTION ARE
FOREIGNERS.
DO YOU HAVE A LIST OF THOSE
FOREIGN INDIVIDUALS WHO WILL BE
MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT?
SEC. RUBIO: I DON'T.
I DID NOT KNOW THERE WAS A
DINNER ON THURSDAY NIGHT.
I AM NOT SURE WHAT YOU'RE
REFERRING TO.
SEN. MURPHY: SO YOU DON'T KNOW
WHETHER ANY OF THE FOREIGN
INDIVIDUALS WHO WILL BE MEETING
WITH THE PRESIDENT THIS THURSDAY
NIGHT ARE ON OUR LIST OF
SANCTIONED INDIVIDUALS OR
WHETHER THOSE INDIVIDUALS HAV
CONNECTIONS TO TERRORIST
ORGANIZATIONS BROUGHT?
SEC. RUBIO: IF THEY HAD LINKS TO
TERRORISM THE DEPARTMENT OF
HOMELAND SECURITY WOULD NOT
ALLOW THEM INTO THE COUNTRY.
YOU ARE ASKING ME ABOUT
SOMETHING I DON'T KNOW ABOUT.
SEN. MURPHY: THIS A DINNER THAT
THE PRESIDENT IS HAVING.
IT IS LIKE GOING TO INVOLVE
SOME VERY SIGNIFICANT FOREIGN
INTERESTS.
YOU HAVE TO BE PRETTY WEALTHY IN
ORDER TO BE ABLE TO GET INSIDE
HIS DINNER.
ISN'T THAT A RELEVANT QUESTION
FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE?
FOREIGN ENTITIES WILL BE
SPEAKING TO THE PRESIDENT.
IT IS NAIVE TO BELIEVE THEY WILL
NOT BE TALKING ABOUT NATIONAL
SECURITY MATTERS.
SEC. RUBIO: I DON'T THINK THAT
IS THE CASE BECAUSE I WOULD BE
AWARE THERE WAS A CASE.
I INTERACT WITH GOVERNMENT
OFFICIALS AND OTHERS IN
GOVERNMENT WITH OTHER COUNTRIES.
THAT I DON'T KNOW ANYTHINGNER
ABOUT.
I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS
DINNER.
THIS IS THE FIRST THING'VE
HEARD ABOUT IT.
I WILL KEEP THE PRESIDENTS
SOCIAL SCHEDULE.
IT IS NOT IN M POCKET.
I CANNOT COMMENT ON A DINNER AT
A KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT.
SEN. MURPHY: THAT REPRESENTS A
REAL PROBLEM FOR THIS COMMITTEE
BECAUSE THERE IS CLEARLY A WAY
AROUND THE STATE DEPARTMENT FOR
FOREIGNNDIVIDUALS OF
SIGNIFICANT INFLUENCE AND WEALTH
TO BE ABLE TO DIRECTLY LOBBY THE
.
THE ANSWER IS THAT YOU DON'T
KNOW THIS IS HAPPENING.
THE DINNER IN ITSELF.
SEC. RUBIO: I DON'T KNOW WHAT
THE GUEST LIST IS BUT I HAVE
RENA
FROM THE WORLD CUP.
HE IS HERE ALL THE TIME.
HE IS A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL, NOT
A GOVERNMENT ENTITY.
HE IS FRIENDLY WITH THE
PRESIDENT.
HE DOES NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH
ME TO MEET WITH THE PRESIDENT.
THERESIDENT HAS RELATIONSHIPS
WITH PEOPLE HE HAS KNOWN FOR A
LONGTIME.
SOME OF THEM ARE FOREIGNERS.
THAT IS NOT UNUSUAL.
YOU ARE IMPLYING AN IMPACT FROM
A DINNER TH I CANNOT COMMENT
ON.
SEN. MURPHY: YOU SHOULD PROBABLY
GET YOUR HAN ON THE LIST TO
MAKE SURE THEY ARE NOT
INDIVIDUALS THERE WHO ARE
PERHAPS CONTRAVENING NATIONAL
SECURITY INTERESTS.
SEC. RUBIO: I DON'T HAVE ANY
CONCERN ABOUT THAT ABOUT THE
PRESIDENT H
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