When Marco Rubio sat down to answer questions from his Senate colleagues on Wednesday, the confirmation hearing — at least for him — was as much about winning their support as it was about convincing Donald Trump’s most rabid supporters that he’s one of them.
“Under President Trump, the top priority of the United States Department of State will be the United States,” Rubio said in his opening statement about his nomination to serve as secretary of state. “The dollars of hardworking American taxpayers will always be spent wisely, and our power will always be wielded prudently and towards what is best for America and Americans before anything and everything else.”
If that “America First” worldview wasn’t clear enough, Rubio’s team also previewed his priorities on Tuesday night, when the far-right news outlet Breitbart published an early look at his remarks.