'Propaganda Ain't Going To Work With Me': Madeleine Dean And Marco Rubio Clash Over Gaza Aid

Added: 2026-06-03

[00:00:00]Thank you, Chairman, uh, and Ranking Member Meeks. Uh, welcome, Secretary Rubio. I want to take a moment to echo the sentiment about this administration.

[00:00:10]Under your leadership, we are going backwards. We're losing our moral standing. We're alienating our allies.

[00:00:17]Our status as the indispensable nation is in question. I had hoped that President Trump would have used you more. I had hoped he would have used diplomatic tools more instead of family dealmakers. A prime example of where we have lost ground is the destruction of USID and the US foreign assistance apparatus.

[00:00:39]Secretary Rubio, I agree with your stated intention to spend foreign aid effectively, efficiently, and aligned with American values. Your written testimony certainly paints a rosy picture of the State Department's progress in achieving those goals. I quote you when you say, "Every dollar we spend today is 100 times more effective, efficient, and aligned with the American interest than it was uh when President Trump took office." We know such huing is not the reality. Last year, a new and untested organization called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation was set up by Israel and the United States within a few short months to take over distribution of emergency food assistance amid catastrophic food insecurity and famine in Gaza. GHF had no track record of providing humanitarian assistance and it relied on private subcontractors to transport the food to provide food distribution sites. And then you saw the reporting. Hundreds of Palestinians including women and children were were killed just trying to get to those sites. Secretary Rubio, can you tell us, can you tell the world how many people were killed simply trying to access those sites?

[00:01:56]>> Well, since Hamas killed them, you should ask what Hamas is doing.

[00:01:59]>> IDF soldiers shot some of them.

[00:02:01]>> No, no, no. Let me tell you the reason why wasn't going in there is because they were being hijacked by >> I reclaim my time because propaganda ain't going to work with me.

[00:02:08]>> Well, it isn't going to work with me either. And what you're saying is propaganda >> nearly 1,400 people were killed and that was as of last March. Secretary Rubio, why did the State Department approve the $30 million to GHF at a time when other well- tested uh agencies were there and able to provide distribution?

[00:02:26]>> Well, because one of those were in cahoots with Ham Hamas and we saw an incredible amount of the aid flow into Hamas's hands reclaiming my time. The aid was helping reclaiming our time order by Israel and >> I got to fix your rules here. You can't even answer a question.

[00:02:40]>> You're not following the rules. You're very familiar with how this works.

[00:02:42]>> No, I don't. I've never served in the house. This is a weird rule. Will you ask a question and I can't answer?

[00:02:47]>> Would you please add time to the clock?

[00:02:48]>> Nope.

[00:02:49]>> He's a comedy show over there.

[00:02:54]>> I'd say on the >> This is serious stuff.

[00:02:56]>> I agree. That's why I don't have to answer question about Rubio. According to public reporting, nine counterterrorism and anti-fraud safeguards were waved to approve this. I wonder who specifically made the decision. I wonder were you aware of this decision? I'm not asking you a question. And was there any written justification?

[00:03:17]I don't want an answer. You know why?

[00:03:18]Because now GHF is closed. It was abysmal. It was a legacy of disaster.

[00:03:26]Nothing about our investment. Our investment, our taxpayers investment seems to have been effective or efficient or in the interest of the American people. I would call that waste, fraud, and abuse. Moving on. I'm a member of the Appropriations Committee. I'm concerned that you're flouting Congress's constitutional power of the purse when it comes to foreign aid. For FY25, Congress appropriated and the president signed into law more than $690 million for international basic education. I don't need to tell you that investing in basic education is critical for empowering children, creating economic opportunity. It's also had a longtime bipartisan support. You supported, you personally as a senator supported authorizing legislation, the Reed Act. How much of this funding has been spent so far?

[00:04:19]>> I don't have that figure in front of me, but I can tell you we're not going to fund puppet shows.

[00:04:22]>> Can you get it for us?

[00:04:24]>> Yeah, I'll get it for you. But I'm going to tell you the number of puppet shows we're and all these other stupid things that we're spending money on is going to be zero.

[00:04:30]>> Well, you supported the legislation.

[00:04:33]>> I didn't support a legislation to have puppet shows.

[00:04:35]>> Mr. Rubio, Mr. Secretary, the Trump administration will be remembered for rubble and rot.

[00:04:43]I had hoped you would have been able to distinguish yourself above that rot. I bet you hoped it, too. Sadly, you have not. I yield back.