Secretary of State Marco Rubio had a tense moment on NBC's "Today" show Tuesday. Host Craig Melvin pressed him repeatedly about President Trump's sweeping Jan. 6 pardons.
NBC began with a 2021 clip of Rubio condemning the Capitol attack. In the clip, Rubio said, "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."
After showing the clip, Melvin asked Rubio about the message the pardons send globally. Rubio refused to engage, saying his focus was now on foreign policy, not domestic political debates.
"As head of the State Department, I can’t engage in these domestic political discussions," Rubio said. "I hope you understand my focus is on making the U.S. safer, stronger, and more prosperous."
Melvin pushed again, questioning whether the pardons might encourage future attacks. Rubio was firm. "I agreed to come on this morning to discuss foreign policy, not revisit domestic politics. It’s not going to happen," he said. "Ask me about foreign policy, and I’m happy to talk."
Rubio made the same point during interviews on CBS and ABC. He emphasized his "singular" focus on global affairs when asked about the pardons.
The pardons were signed Monday night. Trump followed through on his inaugural promise to pardon nearly all Jan. 6 defendants.
Sitting at the Resolute Desk, Trump signed an executive order freeing over 1,500 people charged in the Capitol attack. The order required immediate action from the Federal Bureau of Prisons.