As Florida Sen. Marco Rubio faces questions from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as Trump's nominee for secretary of state, he mounts a full-throated defense of his vision for America's role around the world and his own hawkish record on foreign policy. .

Rubio's opening remarks were interrupted multiple times by protesters from left-wing activist groups, who called him a "war hawk" and decried his record of supporting overseas sanctions before being dragged from the hearing room.

In his opening remarks, Rubio sought to defend America's hardline foreign policy while also tailoring his views to a more Trump-friendly vision in line with the president-elect's "America First" policy, which calls for the United States to reduce its involvement in Ukraine and Participation in NATO matters is completely different from the position of the Biden administration and many Republican lawmakers.

“The prudent conduct of foreign policy does not mean abandoning our values,” Rubio said in his opening remarks. “The common-sense understanding is that while we remain the richest and most powerful nation on Earth, our wealth has never been It’s not limitless...it’s not isolation to put our core national interests above everything else,” he said, adding that it was a “common sense realization.”

He also said: "While the United States often puts global order ahead of national interests, other countries continue to act according to their own wishes." "Every country has its own best interests as the starting point."

Rubio's nomination is not expected to be as controversial as other Trump appointments, including Pete Hegseth, Trump's nominee for defense secretary, who has faced troubling accusations of inexperience and He was heavily criticized for his behavior, including sexual assault and excessive drinking.

Rubio's opening remarks were interrupted three times by protesters who shouted that he supports U.S. military operations abroad and called him a "war monger." A police officer warned that protesters could be arrested, and several of them were forcibly removed from the hall by Capitol Police.

Media Benjamin, an organizer with the activist group Code Pink, who attended the hearing, said protesters were concerned that Trump was "surrounded by these war hawks, and Marco Rubio is one of them."

"A lot of us are unhappy with the Democrats and the Republicans, and we feel like we're governed by two very pro-war parties that are giving nearly a trillion dollars to the Pentagon when we have so much need at home. … .I think the left and the right are coming together because that's the general sentiment in the country," she said.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Reish called Rubio a "great friend" in his opening remarks and praised his record on foreign policy, including his aggressive stance on "holding China and Cuba accountable for their tyranny."

"Senator Rubio, there's a long list of crises," Risch said. "You've earned yourself one of the hardest jobs in America. But after serving at your side for so many years. I'm confident you're the right person to address the threats we face."

New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen noted Rubio's previous support for Ukraine but said "the path forward is uncertain, and I hope today you will lay out some of the administration's plans for Ukraine."

She also asked about the administration's policy on Syria and the State Department's plans, where many fear Trump plans to defund or potentially abolish certain departments, including the Office on Global Women's Issues.