Sec Rubio: Trump SEVERELY DEGRADED Iran's defense

[0:02] And we're back with more of our exclusive sit-down with Secretary of State Marco Rubio [0:06] as the ongoing conflict in Iran remains top of mind for the American people. [0:12] I don't think the Iranian regime has ever faced a president like President Trump, [0:15] which is someone that actually takes action. You know, they got used to for 20 or 30 years, [0:19] not just the U.S., but the broader world, allowing them to get away with things like lying, [0:23] breaking deals, tricking people into agreements and so forth. In this particular case, [0:29] it's pretty straightforward. Iran wants an nuclear weapon and they were building a conventional [0:33] missile shield they were going to hide behind. In essence, they wanted to be in a position a year [0:37] and a half from now to be able to say, we have so many drones and so many missiles, [0:41] you can't possibly defend against them. That's the place they wanted to get to. President Trump [0:45] said, I'm not going to let you get to that place. And he went after, wiped out their navy, wiped out [0:50] their air force, wiped out their missile defenses, wiped out their launchers, wiped out their factories [0:55] that make all of these things and severely degraded their defense capabilities. Now, [1:00] they still have missiles and they still have drums and they can still do damage, [1:03] but they no longer have that shield, that conventional shield that they could hide behind. [1:07] And that's changed the whole dynamic. It's the only reason why they are now willing and in some [1:11] cases seem eager to do a deal on denuclearization, to do a deal on the straits, because we're now [1:17] approaching them from a position of strength, not from a position of weakness, which is what they [1:21] perceived from previous administrations and frankly, from the world writ large. The regime change has [1:26] never been the goal though. As you say, it has been denuclearization. Can you have one without the [1:32] other though? I think what does the regime has to change. You may not have regime change, but the [1:36] regime has to change. The Iranian regime traditionally has been expeditionary. In essence, [1:42] their view is they don't want to just govern Iran. They want to govern the region. They view them, [1:46] they want to export the revolution. That does have to change. And the only way you're going to change [1:50] that is if you make the price of it too high for them to be able to pay. [1:54] The fact that so many of these Gulf Arab nations have all kind of aligned against Iran, [2:02] that must be important. I would say two things about the Middle East and the Gulf [2:06] Kingdom. They always understood who Iran was and the threat they posed. That threat has now become [2:10] reality. They have now seen Iranian drones and Iranian missiles launched into their cities and against [2:15] their energy infrastructure. The other thing that's changed is I think you're going to see more and [2:19] more energy diversifying outside of the Straits of Hormuz. Because from a geographic standpoint, [2:24] Iran will always be on the Straits, whether they're governed by this regime or a future [2:28] government. But that's going to be two permanent features that are going to emerge from this. [2:32] You're going to see the realignment of how energy flows, less reliant on the Straits of Hormuz, [2:37] and you're going to see countries in the region that now understand that Iran is no longer a [2:44] theoretical threat. As long as this clerical regime remains in place, they are a real threat [2:49] and a direct threat to not just their economic interests, but their security interests. [2:54] Well, President Trump says he is going to confront Vladimir Putin regarding reports that Russia [3:00] helped Iran target U.S. bases. How much does that relationship concern you? [3:06] With Russia? Between Russia and Iran. [3:08] Look, unfortunately, I think you'll find in the world that there are countries, or at least companies [3:13] within countries that work with adversaries of ours. And when we identify it, we raise it. And in some [3:17] cases, very successfully. Nothing we have wanted to do in the Middle East, none of the actions we've [3:22] taken, none of our successes have in any way been impeded by anything that any other country in the [3:27] world did against us. There are things that might be irritants, there are things that might be [3:31] concerning, but there is nothing any other country is doing that in any way is standing in the way of [3:36] us achieving the things we want to achieve or the objectives we want. [3:39] Just to finish with the situation in Russia and Ukraine, is there anything at this point that the U.S. [3:44] can realistically do to help bring talks together, bring this to an end? [3:48] The president and has made very clear the United States can play a role in bringing about an end to [3:53] that war. We're going to continue to explore it. We spent a lot of time on it in the first year. [3:58] There came a point where it got to like a stalemate, but we always stood willing and ready to [4:02] play a constructive role. We're the only country in the world, and President Trump's the only leader in the [4:06] world that can bring the Russian side and the Ukrainian side to begin to talk about how you [4:10] end it. The reality is that dynamics have changed just a little bit in that conflict over the last [4:15] few months. The Ukrainians now are able to conduct long-range strikes deep into Russia, bringing the [4:20] war to the Russian people. What we are willing to explore is whether that new dynamic has in any way [4:26] opened the door to some negotiated settlement. I know you're going to see some efforts over the next few [4:32] weeks to see if we can't restart talks between the two sides and bring this war to an end. [4:38] But we also understand that both sides have some pretty strong red lines, and until we can bring [4:43] those red lines a little closer together, we're not going to be there yet. But we're ready to go, [4:47] and the president's told his team, if you see an opportunity to be a force that brings about [4:53] some momentum behind peace talks, let's do it. So he always prefers diplomacy over war and peace over [4:58] combat. Americans have seen so many versions of you, I think. We know Senator Rubio, we know [5:04] Candidate Rubio, now Secretary Rubio. Have you changed throughout the course of all of these [5:10] different kind of phases of your life? And how do you think the American people's perception of you [5:15] has changed? Because you are memes everywhere. I think everybody loves to see all the different [5:19] sides of you. Well, the meme thing, you know, was interesting because when it first came out, [5:22] I hated that picture, you know, because what happened is in that couch, if you don't have a pillow [5:26] behind your back, you kind of sink. So I looked at the pictures, it's terrible, I looked, you know, [5:29] like whatever. And then it turned into this other thing, and it was fine, and it's funny. I don't [5:33] really follow it very closely, but people have shown me pictures out there. We have a good friend here [5:38] that works at the White House, Dan Scavino, made a nice board for me. And even since he made that board, [5:42] we had to update it, so of all the different pictures. So that stuff is funny. You asked me if you've [5:46] changed. I think everybody, you know, you go through life, right? And as you go through life, you learn new things, [5:50] you see things you hadn't seen before, you hear things you haven't heard before. Certainly, I'm a different [5:55] person at 55 than I was at 25 or even 35 because I have 20 and 30 years of experience in between [6:02] in life and in work that inform that. I think at your core, you always want to remain the same person, [6:07] though, right? And that is, what are your priorities in life and what are the values that sort of drive [6:11] you to do what you do? And I hope that hasn't changed. And by the way, the world changes too. [6:15] There are things that are true today that weren't true 10 years ago. So, you know, I think that that's [6:21] true for all of us, not just me. I feel like you've been busier than ever. You've been traveling [6:25] all over the place, but you're doing all of that while being a husband, while being a father. [6:31] Maybe talk about how that is because I know for every kind of working parent out there, [6:38] working spouse, it's hard to take time, you know, but I'm sure your family keeps you very [6:42] Yeah, it is. And I'm in an interesting season in life. You know, for most of my time in public [6:46] service, I had very young children or children that were still growing up. Now, all four of my children [6:49] are adults. My youngest graduated high school this year. I have a 26-year-old, a 24-year-old, [6:55] a 21-year-old and an 18-year-old. So they have lives. They don't just have, you know, when you're 15 [6:59] or 16, you have opinions. When you get to 20, 24, 26, you have lives and you have stuff going on. [7:04] I still look back at the times that they were young and wish I could have one more day [7:08] with them when they were little. But you also appreciate the moment you live in. And then as far as being a [7:13] husband, I think what's happened is because your kids are a little older and they have more time [7:18] doing their own things, whether they're school or career, you spend more time with your, you almost [7:24] like get back to where you were when you first started dating in some ways. So you get to spend [7:28] more time with my wife and sort of rediscover. So it's the second phase of that relationship, I guess, [7:33] after all these years. So it's an interesting season in life that I think we're mixing with what [7:39] we're doing here now and find it pretty fulfilling and pretty happy. Well, when you go home, I'm curious, [7:44] what is the first thing you do when Marco Rubio gets home? Do you sleep? What happens? [7:49] No, not when I get home. I go right to sleep. Of course not. It's usually you, I mean, if you can, [7:54] you really can't in this job and you certainly can't working for this administration and this [7:57] president who never stops working. But I think it is good to try to disconnect for some period of [8:02] time and from your job or from your work. It could be watching a sporting event. It could be watching a [8:08] movie, but just anything that allows you to sort of disconnect and play the reset button. It's harder. It was a lot [8:14] easier to do that when you're a senator. It's much harder when you're in this role and in this job [8:18] because the world isn't going to stop and wait for you. Like you may want, you may have made a plan [8:24] tonight to watch a movie, but in the middle of that movie, something blows up somewhere in the world [8:28] and you're going to know about it and you may have to do something about it. So it's harder, [8:33] but you know, it's not forever and it's fulfilling to be in that role. So if you could get a full week off [8:38] without having anyone access you, what would you do? If I had a full week off, I'd be wondering [8:44] what was going on. I'm being honest and maybe that'll change when I'm out of this job, but if [8:48] I could like, if I could make the world stop for a minute and have nothing going on, I'd love to like, [8:53] well, my wife's going to hate this answer, but I'd love to sit down and like watch like every college [8:57] football game starting at noon eastern until one, when the west coast games end at 2 a.m. our time eastern. [9:03] I'd love to be able to do that at least one weekend. I doubt I'll be able to do that anytime soon. [9:07] Okay. Final question. Is this going to be the Miami Dolphins season? What do we think? [9:11] No. No. They're in massive rebuilding mode, [9:14] but I think the needle's pointing in the right direction, but they need a couple years to rebuild [9:18] that roster. Okay. We're always looking to future seasons. [9:20] Yeah, that's right. Secretary Marco Rubio, [9:22] you are great. Thanks for all you do for our country and thank you so much for your time. [9:25] Thank you.