Who would have ever thought he was so fire? Secretary Marco Rubio testified before the Senate Foreign Relations allegedly regarding the capture of Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro and that country’s future. Something has been unleashed in Secretary Rubio and he is like some Diplomacy Superhero. Righteous!

Some of the Democrats at the hearing made scurrilous accusations against Trump and this Administration but none of them really landed. Some Senator I didn’t really catch accused the Trump family of grifting a billion from the United States. No, that’s you, my dude.

My man Marco was deliciously wicked from his opening statement on. From the Washington Times:

Secretary of State Marco Rubio walked back U.S. military threats in Venezuela in his testimony to senators about the Trump administration’s next steps in the country after the capture of its longtime leader Nicolas Maduro.

In prepared remarks to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Wednesday, Rubio said the U.S. is “prepared to use force to ensure maximum cooperation if other methods fail,” adding that the administration will “never shy away from our duty to the American people and our mission in this hemisphere.”

But he later testified that the U.S. is not “postured” for taking any military action in Venezuela “at any time.”

Rubio’s testimony is the first from any Trump official after strikes on alleged drug-running boats that have killed dozens of people in international waters. It was also the first hearing after a lethal U.S. military operation to capture Maduro, the culmination of President Donald Trump’s months-long pressure campaign to topple the autocrat’s government and “run” Venezuela with oil companies in tow.

“I can tell you right now with full certainty, we are not postured to nor do we intend or expect to have to take any military action in Venezuela at any time,” Rubio said Wednesday. “The only military presence you will see in Venezuela is our Marine guards at an embassy.”

Democratic Senator Chris Murphy pressed Rubio on whether the administration would seek congressional authorization to “compel cooperation” over oil sales at the center of the U.S. occupation in Venezuela.

“At any time” is succinct and clear. But, Chris Murphy isn’t smart enough to understand that. He could live to be 200 years old and not get it.

A hysterically funny moment came in his Opening Statement, Secretary Rubio quoted the song “Gangster’s Paradise” when talking about life in Venezuela:

🚨 BOOM! SEC. MARCO RUBIO: "We're dealing with people in Venezuela who've spent most of their lives living in a gangster's paradise!"

🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/NSmheLmRE9

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 28, 2026

Most Senators aren’t smart enough to make the cultural connection. Poor schmucks. “Power in the money. Money in the power. Minute after minute, hour after hour.”

There was a lot of stupid that Secretary Rubio had to deal with but I decided to pick on Tammy Duckworth, Senator from Illinois. She is the Senator Mazie Hironos of Senator Elizabeth Warrens.

Duckworth brought up the Alien Enemies Act used in the War of 1812, World War I and World War II. She brought it up because of the shameful internment of the Japanese. She wanted to insinuate that Trump would start a forever war and intern his political enemies.

Is Duckworth arguing that Tren de Aragua are the equivalent of Japanese Americans?

I think Duckworth confused herself.

From the Daily Caller:

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois raised their voices at each other during an exchange Wednesday over the Trump administration’s foreign policy.

Rubio testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about Venezuela, a hearing held in the wake of strikes on boats suspected of drug trafficking and the capture of dictator Nicolas Maduro. Duckworth peppered Rubio on a number of topics, jumping from whether the United States was at war to if the United States was “torturing” people.

“Mr. Secretary, are we at, are we currently at war with Venezuela?” Duckworth asked, with Rubio responding, “No, we’re not in a state of war in Venezuela.”

“OK, the Supreme Court has described the Alien Enemies Act as a wartime power, our Supreme Court, and before now, the Alien Enemies Act was only invoked during the War of 1812, World War One, World War Two, when it was used to intern thousands of innocent civilians,” Duckworth claimed. “Are you really arguing that the president should be able to wield an internment law?”

Hey Duckworth, it was an internment law then because that’s how FDR chose to use it.

Marco Rubio should get a free vacation to his choice after dealing with Mazie Duckworth this morning. Even though he did bring the fire.

Featured Image: U.S. Senate Photographic Studio/Wikimedia Commons.org/cropped/Public Domain/Department of State/Wikimedia Commons.org/Public Domain