Secretary of State Marco Rubio clashed with CBS host Margaret Brennan over the State Department’s order to revoke the green card of former Columbia University student activist, Mahmoud Khalil.
Khalil, a Palestinian raised in Syria and a permanent U.S. resident, was arrested and detained by immigration officials earlier this month for leading activities “aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization,” according to the Department of Homeland Security.
On “Face the Nation” Sunday, Brennan cited a Wall Street Journal editorial critical of the Trump administration’s revocation of Khalil’s green card. She asked Rubio if he had evidence showing Khalil had supported terrorism or if Khalil had simply espoused a “controversial political” view.
Rubio defended the administration’s actions, saying that anyone who enters the U.S. on a visa is a “guest” and will be deported if they support “pro-Hamas” activities, which run “counter to the foreign policy interests of the United States.”
COLUMBIA ANTI-ISRAEL PROTEST RINGLEADER MAHMOUD KHALIL TO REMAIN DETAINED IN LOUISIANA
“It’s that simple,” he said.
“If you had told us that you were going to do that, we never would have given you the visa. Now you’re here. Now you do it. You lied to us. You’re out. It’s that simple. It’s that straightforward,” he added.
“But is there any evidence of a link to terrorism?” Brennan pressed. “Or is it just his point of view?”
Rubio asked the news anchor if she was aware of the pro-Hamas encampments that took over college campuses after the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel.
“Yeah, they take over — you should watch the news,” Rubio responded. “These guys take over entire buildings.”
TOM HOMAN CALLS OUT ‘RADICAL’ JUDGE FOR ‘DEFYING LOGIC’ WITH RULING TO STALL TRUMP DEPORTATIONS
“We covered it intensely,” Brennan shot back as the two spoke over each other. She clarified that she was speaking specifically for evidence in Khalil’s case.
Rubio said Khalil was a “negotiator” for student protesters who took over the Columbia University campus and vandalized buildings.
“That’s a crime in and of itself,” he told Brennan. “We don’t want it. We don’t need these people in our country. We never should have allowed them in, in the first place.”
Rubio reiterated that those who entered the country on visas with the intent to disrupt campus activities, vandalize buildings and promote terrorist organizations shouldn’t have been let in and would be deported.
He also called out the “hypocrisy” of those defending these protesters’ free speech rights.
“I find it ironic that a lot of these people out there defending the First Amendment, alleged free speech rights of these Hamas sympathizers — they had no problem, okay, pressuring social media to censor American political speech. So I think it’s ironic and hypocritical,” he added.
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Brennan continued to press Rubio if “only pro-Palestinian people” would have their visas revoked or people with “other points of view as well.”
Rubio said the administration was also deporting members of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, recognized by the Trump administration as a terrorist organization.
“We don’t want terrorists in America. I don’t know how hard that is to understand,” he told Brennan.
“We don’t want people in our country that are going to be committing crimes and undermining our national security or the public safety. It’s that simple,” he continued. “Especially people that are here as guests. That is what a visa is. I don’t know where we’ve gotten it in our head that a visa is some sort of birthright. It is not. It is a visitor into our country. And if you violate the terms of your visitation, you are going to leave.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio clashed with CBS host Margaret Brennan over the State Department’s order to revoke the green card of former Columbia University student activist, Mahmoud Khalil.
Khalil, a Palestinian raised in Syria and a permanent U.S. resident, was arrested and detained by immigration officials earlier this month for leading activities “aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization,” according to the Department of Homeland Security.
On “Face the Nation” Sunday, Brennan cited a Wall Street Journal editorial critical of the Trump administration’s revocation of Khalil’s green card. She asked Rubio if he had evidence showing Khalil had supported terrorism or if Khalil had simply espoused a “controversial political” view.
Rubio defended the administration’s actions, saying that anyone who enters the U.S. on a visa is a “guest” and will be deported if they support “pro-Hamas” activities, which run “counter to the foreign policy interests of the United States.”
COLUMBIA ANTI-ISRAEL PROTEST RINGLEADER MAHMOUD KHALIL TO REMAIN DETAINED IN LOUISIANA
“It’s that simple,” he said.
“If you had told us that you were going to do that, we never would have given you the visa. Now you’re here. Now you do it. You lied to us. You’re out. It’s that simple. It’s that straightforward,” he added.
“But is there any evidence of a link to terrorism?” Brennan pressed. “Or is it just his point of view?”
Rubio asked the news anchor if she was aware of the pro-Hamas encampments that took over college campuses after the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel.
“Yeah, they take over — you should watch the news,” Rubio responded. “These guys take over entire buildings.”
TOM HOMAN CALLS OUT ‘RADICAL’ JUDGE FOR ‘DEFYING LOGIC’ WITH RULING TO STALL TRUMP DEPORTATIONS
“We covered it intensely,” Brennan shot back as the two spoke over each other. She clarified that she was speaking specifically for evidence in Khalil’s case.
Rubio said Khalil was a “negotiator” for student protesters who took over the Columbia University campus and vandalized buildings.
“That’s a crime in and of itself,” he told Brennan. “We don’t want it. We don’t need these people in our country. We never should have allowed them in, in the first place.”
Rubio reiterated that those who entered the country on visas with the intent to disrupt campus activities, vandalize buildings and promote terrorist organizations shouldn’t have been let in and would be deported.
He also called out the “hypocrisy” of those defending these protesters’ free speech rights.
“I find it ironic that a lot of these people out there defending the First Amendment, alleged free speech rights of these Hamas sympathizers — they had no problem, okay, pressuring social media to censor American political speech. So I think it’s ironic and hypocritical,” he added.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE
Brennan continued to press Rubio if “only pro-Palestinian people” would have their visas revoked or people with “other points of view as well.”
Rubio said the administration was also deporting members of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, recognized by the Trump administration as a terrorist organization.
“We don’t want terrorists in America. I don’t know how hard that is to understand,” he told Brennan.
“We don’t want people in our country that are going to be committing crimes and undermining our national security or the public safety. It’s that simple,” he continued. “Especially people that are here as guests. That is what a visa is. I don’t know where we’ve gotten it in our head that a visa is some sort of birthright. It is not. It is a visitor into our country. And if you violate the terms of your visitation, you are going to leave.”
