The House Foreign Affairs Committee turned into an explosive political battleground on Wednesday, May 21, when Secretary of State Marco Rubio clashed in epic fashion with Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) during a hearing in the committee. Their battle was sparked by Sherman demanding Rubio only give a “yes” or “no” answer, leading to Rubio telling him that the hearing “is not a game show.”
The subject of the Wednesday hearing was the matter of the current Trump Administration foreign policy objectives, particularly as related to massively cut foreign aid, the proliferation of nuclear capabilities in both Saudi Arabia and Iran, and the Russo-Ukraine War that Trump has signalled he wants to move away from.
The spat between Rubio and Sherman began when Sherman pressed him on a potential nuclear cooperation agreement between America and Saudi Arabia. Beginning to answer him, Rubio said, “First, I will tell you that there has been no conversation about entering into one. For example, during the recent trip.”
Sherman replied with nearly unbelievable rudeness, snapping at the Secretary of State to give him just a “yes” or “no” answer to the question. He snapped, as Rubio tried answering his question about the potential nuclear agreement, “I’ve got limited time. Either give me a yes or a no.”
Secretary of State Rubio, unfazed, snapped back at Rep. Sherman that he could either get a full answer or not get an answer at all. He said, “Well, I’m going to give you my answer if you want my answer.” Rep. Sherman, instead of getting an answer, snapped that he would be “reclaiming” his time.
Rubio, not missing the opportunity to get in a jibe at the woke representative, snapped that he could go ahead and reclaim it, but that these hearings are important, not mere game shows with short answers, saying, “Well, reclaim your time. But it’s not a game show. I get to answer. These are complex questions.”
Angrily, Sherman snapped, “Mr. Secretary, I’m reclaiming my time. The filibustering takes place in the Senate. Not here.” Once again replying without getting fazed or backing down, Secretary Rubio told him, “I’m not filibustering. I’m trying to answer your question.”
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Sherman then asked yet another question and ended it by snapping, “That’s a yes or no question.” Rubio, refusing to answer the congressman’s question about sanctions on Iran without giving a full explanation, snapped back at the representative that his question was not a “yes” or “no” one, saying, “No, it’s not.”
Sherman fired back, “Well, can you give me a yes or no? Should I go on to go on to the next?” Rubio told him, not giving the answer he wanted, “We believe that Iran should not be allowed to enrich uranium, correct.” Sherman then snapped, “You believe that?”
Rubio then tried to explain the administration’s position, saying, “We believe that an acceptable deal with Iran is one in which they cannot enrich, because if they can enrich, they can weaponize.” Sherman snapped, “I know why we don’t want — I asked you, will we agree, will we continue the sanctions until they verifiably agree to get rid of enrichments?”
Rubio, getting in a jab at the Biden Administration, told him, “Oh, you have nothing to worry about. The worry was the previous administration. This administration—” Sherman, for his part, then started shouting at Rubio, telling him, “Your refusal to give me an answer is loud and clear.”
Watch them here: