Key facts
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied allegations that Donald Trump considered personal financial interests in decisions related to Iran.
- Rubio stated he never heard Trump discuss his finances in connection with war or foreign policy.
- The exchange occurred during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing.
- Rep. Gregory Meeks questioned Rubio about potential conflicts of interest related to Trump's stock holdings and the conflict with Iran.
- Rubio defended Trump's work habits and cognitive fitness against Democratic lawmakers' accusations.
During a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, Secretary of State Marco Rubio strongly refuted claims that President Donald Trump considered his personal financial interests when making decisions about the conflict with Iran. Representative Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., pressed Rubio on whether Trump was warned that military action could increase costs for Americans and if the president's stock holdings presented a conflict of interest. Rubio emphatically denied this, stating he never heard Trump discuss his personal finances in relation to war or any public policy, not even for a millisecond. He also noted that he has been present for most of Trump's foreign policy meetings. Meeks' questioning followed the release of Trump's annual financial disclosure, which showed numerous securities transactions in accounts managed for him. Rubio expressed skepticism about the accuracy of claims regarding Trump's stock purchases. The hearing also involved tense exchanges where Rubio defended Trump's work habits and cognitive fitness against accusations from Democratic lawmakers like Ted Lieu. Other representatives, including Sydney Kamlager-Dove and Sara Jacobs, raised issues concerning transparency in oil contracts and foreign policy handling, which Rubio dismissed as false and defamatory, expressing frustration with the hearing's tenor and format.