US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has defended President Donald Trump ’s “America First” foreign policy, arguing that Washington must prioritize American interests over international institutions and the existing global order, while using diplomacy to manage differences with allies.
His remarks followed Trump’s address to the United Nations General Assembly, where the president emphasized using American power to advance US interests. He also criticized foreign policy commentators and think tanks that, in his view, opposed the administration’s approach. Rubio argued that following their advice could have reduced the United States’ standing as a global power . The interview offered a further explanation of the administration’s foreign policy priorities, with Rubio presenting the approach as an effort to use American power in pursuit of national interests while retaining diplomacy as a tool for resolving disagreements.
In an interview with Breitbart News at the State Department on Thursday, October 15, Rubio rejected criticism of the policy and said putting America first was a matter of common sense.
“I think at its core everyone understands that our foreign policy—which is what I can speak about—has to be about what is good for America,” Rubio said. “If they don’t like America First, they should have the guts to go out there and tell people, ‘I am running for office on the belief that our foreign policy should be driven by America second or America third,’” he said. “So I think the president’s basically saying common sense, which is our foreign policy and what we do around the world, is going to be driven by what’s good for America,” Rubio said. Rubio said the Trump administration would no longer place international institutions or the broader global order ahead of American interests.
