The Secretary of State Marco Rubio strongly defended the "America First" doctrine on Tuesday during a press conference in Paris, where he participated in the G7 ministers' meeting, stating that Washington does not work "for the global order" or "for other countries," but exclusively for the interests of the United States.
The statements, collected by the State Department on its social media, arose in response to a question about whether China's practices influence the U.S. stance in negotiations regarding artificial intelligence regulation.
"We work for America. We do not work for the global order, we do not work for other countries. We work for the United States," Rubio stated, adding that "the Chinese system will always act in the best interest of the Chinese system, and the United States will always act in the best interest of the United States."
The head of U.S. diplomacy noted that the difference between the Trump administration and previous governments lies in the fact that the latter "sometimes forgot" that their mandate was to defend the interests of the American people, not those of the global order.
"We will always be in favor of whatever is good for America and Americans above all else, and that will often put us in conflict or disagreement with other countries, including China," he emphasized.
During the same appearance, Rubio addressed the Iranian file with an equally direct tone. He dismissed the idea that Tehran is in a position to negotiate seriously, despite stating that "Iran would want an agreement."
"The problem is that the conditions they continue to impose are absurd. They aren't even serious right now. But that could change. In the end, we have to eat," he stated to the press.
Rubio also criticized the legacy of Obama's policy toward Iran, noting that the relief from sanctions granted during that time was not aimed at improving the living conditions of the Iranian population.
“No used that money to build hospitals, roads, bridges, and universities. They used it to build weapons and arm proxy groups in the region to attack us and other countries,” the Secretary of State stated.
Regarding the failure of the previously negotiated Memorandum of Understanding with Tehran, Rubio was unequivocal: "They violated the memorandum. They canceled it when they resumed attacks on navigation."
The statements made on Tuesday come a day after Rubio warned from Paris about Cuba, noting that the instability of the island poses a threat to the national security of the United States and holding the regime accountable for the migratory Exodus.
On Monday, Rubio also addressed the Venezuelan situation, assuring that the democratic transition is progressing as planned and that new magistrates for the Supreme Court of that country could be appointed by mid-December.
On November 7, President Donald Trump praised Rubio at the CPAC in Mar-a-Lago, stating that the Secretary of State is working on a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine and that, once that process is complete, he will address Cuba.
Rubio has been serving since September 22, 2026, as both Secretary of State and National Security Advisor simultaneously, a combination of responsibilities that reflects the significant role the Trump administration assigns him in shaping U.S. foreign policy.
Filed under: