This is the transcription of an interview that Secretary of State Marco Rubio conducted on “Face the Nation With Margaret Brennan”, on March 16, 2025.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Let’s get straight to it this morning with Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, who joins us from Miami, Florida. Mr. Secretary for our audience, just to explain, this Red Sea area is a really important transit point for global shipping. The Houthis out of Yemen have been disrupting transit there for some time. President Trump cited these concerns when he announced the strikes. I’m wondering, how long will this campaign last, and will it involve ground forces?
U.S. SECRETAARY OF STATE, MARCO RUBIO,: First of all, this is an important shipping route and over the past year-and a half, in the last 18-months, the Houthis struck or attacked at least 174 US naval vessels. They have attacked the U.S. Navy 174 times directly, and commercial shipping 145 times. We have basically a group of pirates with precision guided anti-ship weapons and a toll-exacting system on one of the world’s most important shipping routes. This is not sustainable. These people will not be able to control which ships are allowed through. So, the question you have is how long can this continue? This will continue until they lose the ability to do so.
What does U.S. Intelligence tell us now? The U.S. has been conducting strikes on the Houthis for some time but they have not been successful.
SECRETARY RUBIO : No.
MARGARET BRENNAN : -What’s going to change right now? Do you believe in intelligence more?
SECRETARY RUBIO : Well, these strikes were a response strike. We hit the launcher or sent something else to do it. This is not just a message. This is not an isolated incident. It’s not going to work. These guys with guns will not be able to tell our ships where to go. They can’t even tell the ships from all over the world. By getting rid of them and their ability strike global shipping, we’re doing a great favor to the world. This is the goal, and we will not stop until it’s achieved. The Biden administration never did that. The Biden administration would only respond to an attack. We would hit the rocket launcher. These guys would fire one rocket. That’s it. This is an attempt to remove their ability to control the global shipping in this part of the globe. It’s not going to be the case anymore.
MARGARET BRENAN: And it could-
SECRETARY RUBIO : So, we will continue this until it’s done.
MARGARET BRENNA: Could it involve ground raids?
SECRETARY RUBIO : I know that military decisions must be made but, to my knowledge, no ground raids have been discussed. It’s not necessary at this time. I can confirm that, as of yesterday, many of those involved in the missile launches have left us. I can also confirm that the facilities they used are no more. It’s easy to understand, but the bottom line is that these guys can control which ships are allowed to pass through. They have attacked the U.S. Navy at least 174 times. The United States Navy has been attacked 174 times. We won’t let people sit around with missiles and attack the U.S. Navy. Not under President Trump.
MARGARET BRENAN: In his remarks, the President also mentioned Iran. You know that Iran is a supporter of the Houthis. You know, U.S. intelligence has long suggested that Israel is planning to attack Iran’s nuclear program in the next few months. President Trump made a negotiation offer. Has Iran responded? This strike in Yemen is a message to Iran.
SECRETARY RUBIO : This strike is about the Houthis’ ability to attack global shipping, as well as the U.S. Navy. It also concerns their willingness to do so. The U.S. Navy was targeted 174 times, and global shipping 145 other times. This is the purpose of the strike. We can’t ignore the fact that the Iranians supported the Houthis, which is why the President brought it up. They gave them intelligence, guidance and weapons. The Houthis could not have done this without the support of Iran. This was a warning to Iran: stop supporting them or you’ll be held responsible for their attacks on Navy ships and global shipping.
MARGARET BRENNAN : They could also receive support from Russia which you have sanctioned, but I would like to ask you a question about tariffs since you were in Canada just last week. Mexico is Canada’s third largest export market. China is Canada’s number two. Is there not a chance that China could end up winning this trade war the U.S. has been having? Will they gain if it is too expensive to deal with America?
SECRETARY RUBIO (translated): In fact, China and Canada have a mini-trade war going on right now. The Chinese have in fact imposed a number of tariffs as retaliatory or reciprocal tariffs against Canada, after Canada imposed them. Here’s how everyone should understand this. Okay? President Obama is right to believe that global trade balance is out of whack. We have been allowing countries to unfairly treat us in global trade for 30 to 40 years. This was mostly during the Cold War when we wanted our Cold War allies to prosper and be wealthy. But now, this has to change. Look at the European Union. The European Union has a similar size to ours. It is not a low-wage economy. It is very similar to ours, in terms of composition, etc. Why do they have an excess of trade with us? The President is saying two things. The first is that there are industries that President Trump believes the U.S. must have domestic capabilities in, such as aluminum, steel, semiconductors, automobile manufacturing. To protect these industries and build this capability, you need to ensure that there are economic incentives for producing in the United States. We will impose tariffs on other countries in proportion to the ones they impose upon us. This is global. It’s against everyone, not just Canada, Mexico or the EU. We will then engage in possible bilateral negotiations with other countries on new trade agreements that are fair for both parties, based on this new baseline of reciprocity and fairness. Right now, the trade is not fair. The baseline will be reset and we’ll then enter into bilateral agreements with countries to ensure that our trade is fair. These countries will not continue to be upset.
MARGARET BRENAN: This is just about using leverage to get bilateral trade agreements, not North American free trade deals.
SECRETARY RUBIO : No, this is not leverage
MARGARET BRENNAN: re- renegotiation-
SECRETARY RUBIO : – No. It’s not about leverage. It’s about fairness. It’s about resetting the baseline for fairness. Then we can start working on deals, and-and so forth. Because they will have products that we don’t manufacture, and we will have products that they don’t manufacture. This is where trade works best. It must be fair and free. Right now, it is only fair on one side.
MARGARET BRENNAN : You know, sir?
SECRETARY RUBIO : -It is an untenable position.
MARGARET BRENNAN : -ad hoc announcements of policy and pullbacks cause concern on the market, as we have seen this week. So, I heard you describe a strategy that seemed to be a way to reach negotiations on a bi-lateral front. You seem to be negotiating- you say that this is national security minded. We also hear the President commenting on 200 percent tariffs for champagne. This is not an important industry for the United States. It seems to be more emotional.
SECRETARY RUBIO : No, this is retaliation. That’s what occurs in these exchanges. They are going to increase their tariffs. Are they going to increase their tariffs further? You tell me, I guess? You know, Canada wants to take on whiskey and orange juice.
MARGARET BRENNA: Retaliation.
SECRETARY RUBIO : Exactly. That sounds pretty petty too. What’s the difference then? What’s the difference? I can understand that these countries are not happy with the current status of trade. It is beneficial to them. They like it because they benefit from the status quo. We don’t enjoy the status quo. We will establish a new standard of living, and then, if both parties want it, we can begin to negotiate a fair agreement. What we have right now is not sustainable. This country has been de-industrialized. The United States of America has been de-industrialized. We have to be able make certain things to keep our country safe and to create jobs. This is why we have a rustbelt, and why all the important jobs which once supported entire communities were wiped out because of trade. These factories, jobs, and industrial capabilities are now in other countries, where they cannot or will not be continued. This is not a mystery. President Trump has been talking about it since the 1980s, before he became a politician. This is what’s going on, and now.
MARGARET BRENAN: I have a question about Russia. You claimed that the meeting between Steve Witkoff, an envoy to Vladimir Putin last week, would answer whether or not we are moving towards a truce. Or is Putin using a delaying tactic? Yesterday, you spoke to Sergey Lavrov. Is it a delaying tactic?
SECRETARY RUBIO : I thought that was an encouraging meeting. We will not negotiate in public, as I have said many times. We’ll hopefully have some news to share soon. I can’t promise that, but the meeting and the exchange were promising. I do not take anything negative away from Steve Witkoff or Ambassador Witkoff. There are challenges. It’s a three-year complex war, fought along a long military front. No one is claiming it will be easy but this plan should help everyone understand. Plan A would be to get the shooting stopped so we could move on to Plan B. Phase two is to have everyone at a round table and maybe even with shuttle diplomacy to find a lasting solution to this war that respects all of our needs. Nobody is claiming that the second part will be easy. But we cannot get to it until we have completed the first. As long as there is shooting, it’s difficult to negotiate a lasting end to a war. The president therefore wants a ceasefire. We’re trying to achieve that, if we can. This will not be an easy task in itself. The second phase is to negotiate something permanent and lasting. This will be a difficult task. This will require a lot hard work and concessions on both sides. But it must happen. This war must end. The president is clear that this war must end.
MARGARET BRENAN: We’ll also talk about this later on in the show with Envoy Witkoff. I’d like to ask you a question about the decision you made this week to revoke an individual’s student visa at Columbia University. The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board says, “the Administration needs to be cautious, not deporting anyone who has controversial political views will break the great promise that a greencard represents.” What evidence can you provide to prove that any material support was given for terrorism?
SECRETARY RUBIO (RUBI): Yes.
MARGARET BRENAN: From this Columbia student, a specific message to Hamas.
SECRETARY RUBIO (RUBI): Yes.
MARGARET BRENNAN : -or did he simply espouse a controversial point of view on politics?
SECRETARY RUBIO : Not just for the students, we will do more. We approve visa revocations every day, and if the visa was linked to a Green Card, then we also approve the process for a Green Card. Here’s why: it’s simple. You are considered a guest when you enter the United States with a visa. This could be because you want to come as a student or a tourist. You have to state certain things in the application. For example, if you say that you are coming to the U.S. for pro-Hamas activities, this is against the interests of the United States of America. That’s it. So, you lied. If you’d told us you would do this, we wouldn’t have granted you the visa. You’re now here. Now you do it. You lied to me. You’re out. You’re out. It’s so simple.
MARGARET BRENNAN : But is there- is there evidence of a-
SECRETARY RUBIO : Yes. Sure.
MARGARET BRENAN: Is it his opinion or does he have a link to terrorism?
SECRETARY RUBIO (to Secretary Rubio): They take over. You should be watching the news. These guys are taking over entire buildings.
[CROSSTALK]
MARGARET BRENNAN : We have covered it extensively. I’m wondering about the specifics.
MARGARET BRENAN: They vandalized college. They closed down colleges.
SECRETARY RUBIO : -well, then you should be aware that this is a-
MARGARET BRENAN: -justification of the revocation his visa
SECRETARY RUBIO : This particular individual was the spokesperson
MARGARET BRENNAN : -were there any proofs that the materials were used to support terrorism?
SECRETARY RUBIO : Was the negotiator negotiating for people who took over a college campus? Which vandalized the buildings? What are they negotiating over? It’s already a crime that they are involved in being the mediator, the spokesperson or any other role. We don’t have any need for these people to be in our country. They should never have been allowed in. We would never have let him in. He could not even go to the library. We would never have allowed him to enter. We would never have allowed him to enter in the first place. We’ll keep doing this, even though he is here and doing it. We’re here. And by the way, it is ironic that many of the people who are defending Hamas’s First Amendment rights, their alleged freedom of speech, are also those who defend the First Amendment.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SECRETARY RUBIO : They had no problem at all, okay, in pressuring social media for censoring American political speech. It’s ironic, and I find it hypocritical. The bottom line is that if you’re in this country to promote Hamas or terrorist organizations, participate in vandalism and rebellion, or participate in riots and acts of rebellion on campus, then it is not worth your time. If we knew that, we would never have allowed you to enter. And now that we do know that, you are going to leave.
MARGARET BRENNAN : Will only pro-Palestinians have their visas remotely revoked or will other viewpoints be affected?
SECRETARY RUBIO (Speaking): I don’t think anyone here is in favor. Look, we are trying to eliminate the Tren de Aragua members. They are terrorists, too. The president designated them as terrorists. I was asked to do so by the president. We also want to eliminate them. We don’t want terrorists to be in America. It’s not hard to understand. We don’t want criminals or people who will undermine our public safety and national security in our country. This is especially true for people who are visiting. Visas are just that. It’s not a birthright. I don’t understand how we got it into our heads that visas are a kind of right. It’s not. You are a visitor in our country. If you do not follow the rules of your visit, you will be asked to leave.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay. I’d like to welcome you back, Secretary Rubio. We’ll talk to you more about your agenda another time.
SECRETARY RUBIO (Rubio): Thank you.
MARGARET BRENNAN will return in a moment with Face the Nation.
