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Secretary of State Marco Rubio fired back Wednesday at a Democratic lawmaker’s suggestion that President Donald Trump may have taken his financial interests into account when making decisions related to the recent conflict with Iran.
Rubio called the allegations “absolutely false” and said he had never heard the president discuss his spending on war or foreign policy.
The exchange came during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, where Rep. Gregory Meeks, DN.Y., pressed Rubio about whether he was warning Trump that military action against Iran could increase costs for the American people and that the president’s stock holdings create a potential conflict of interest.
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“Not once. Just to be clear, not one time, not even a millisecond,” Rubio said. “Has the president ever discussed the economy and his relationship to wars and any public policy he’s done, for that matter? And I’ve been to all of his foreign policy meetings a lot of the time.”
Rubio’s comments come after Meeks asked if Trump had been warned that “the stock purchases and war profiteering companies that he has been quieting may present a conflict of interest.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio fired back Wednesday at a Democratic lawmaker’s suggestion that President Donald Trump may have taken his financial interests into account when making decisions related to the recent conflict with Iran. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
“I don’t know about the president’s stock purchase,” Rubio replied. “I don’t care about that. And I don’t even know if you’re right.”
When Meeks confirmed that Trump’s financial information was public, Rubio responded, “You say so. I don’t read the president’s financial disclosures, but I don’t believe that.”
Meeks’ line of questioning followed the release of Trump’s annual financial disclosures, which show more than 3,600 securities transactions made in investment accounts held for the president’s benefit through the first quarter of 2026.
The White House was not immediately available for comment on Meeks’ line of questioning. Trump representatives have said the accounts are managed by outside financial professionals and that the president does not oversee individual trading.
The exchange came during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, where Rep. Gregory Meeks, DN.Y., pressed Rubio about whether he was warning Trump that military action against Iran could increase costs for the American people and that the president’s stock holdings create a potential conflict of interest. (Photos by Alex Wroblewski/AFP/Getty)
The hearing also featured a tense back-and-forth after Meeks asked repeatedly if Rubio had warned Trump that the conflict could raise the cost of gas, food, travel and transportation.
Rubio declined to give a straight yes-or-no answer, telling the congressman, “I don’t answer yes or no.”
As Meeks continued to press him, Rubio replied, “Your five minutes are up. Right? I don’t do yes or no. Shut up. You want to ask me a question? I’ll answer.”
Meeks did not mention any specific stock purchases or financial activity connected to US activity against Iran during the hearing.
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As Democratic lawmakers have repeatedly challenged Rubio during impeachment hearings on issues ranging from Trump’s finances and decision-making to broader allegations of corruption among the administration, the secretary has grown frustrated with the verdict.
“This is the Foreign Affairs Committee, or is it like a circus? What is this?” Rubio asked at one point.
At one point, Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., showed opposing videos showing Trump dozing off during meetings and accused Rubio of misleading Congress while denying it.
“I’ve never seen him sleep,” Rubio responded, later defending Trump’s work habits by saying the president “literally doesn’t sleep” and “works day and night, many hours every single day.”
Lieu also questioned Trump’s mental health, prompting Rubio to quip that “we’ve had a mentally disabled president in office for the past few years,” an apparent reference to former President Joe Biden.
Later in the trial, Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, D-Calif., accused the administration of a lack of transparency regarding Venezuelan oil contracts and corruption allegations involving Trump allies. Rubio called the allegations “false” and “defamatory” and repeatedly complained that lawmakers were not allowing him to answer questions before taking their time.
“What kind of thing is this? What is this? You know, you get asked questions for five minutes and you don’t get time to answer. It’s not a hearing,” Rubio said.
As the exchange continued, Rubio added, “What is this dunk tank?”
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Rubio made the previous “circus” speech during an interview with Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., when the congresswoman criticized her handling of the administration’s foreign policy and talked about the shoes Trump allegedly gave her. Rubio responded that the shoes fit perfectly before expressing disbelief that the committee was discussing shoes.
“Are you kidding me?” Rubio said.
