Things got heated on Capitol Hill when Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) clashed in a fiery exchange over President Trump’s aggressive foreign policy, drug cartels, and the use of wartime powers.
Rubio, testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the evolving situation in Venezuela, found himself in the crosshairs as Duckworth grilled him over the administration’s actions—including the recent capture of dictator Nicolas Maduro and crackdowns on drug-running boats linked to violent cartels.
The sharpest flashpoint? Trump’s use of the 18th-century Alien Enemies Act, which Duckworth claimed is a “wartime power” historically invoked during major conflicts like World War II—when Japanese Americans were infamously interned. Duckworth demanded to know whether the U.S. was currently at war with Venezuela. Rubio calmly replied: “No, we’re not in a state of war in Venezuela.”
Watching Marco Rubio schooling Trump Deranged Psychopath Tammy Duckworth who has the IQ of a garden gnome was glorious to watch this morning!
He’s truly a Rockstar in the Trump administration! pic.twitter.com/zB9PF4cCdk
— Vince Langman (@LangmanVince) January 28, 2026
But Duckworth wasn’t done. “Are you really arguing that the president should be able to wield an internment law?” she asked, as Rubio attempted to explain that Trump’s use of the law targeted foreign gang members—not civilians.
Trump had designated violent gangs like MS-13, Tren de Aragua, and Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations early in his third term. In March 2025, he invoked the Alien Enemies Act to expedite deportations of TdA members, sparking outrage among critics who claim the law is being stretched too far.
Duckworth accused the administration of torturing detainees, but Rubio snapped back: “We haven’t tortured anybody. We’ve arrested people that are members of gangs, and we’ve deported them.” Duckworth countered that some of those deported had legal status—a claim Rubio didn’t directly address, instead pivoting to the broader threat of narco-terrorism.
“These narco-trafficking groups are waging war on the United States,” Rubio said, visibly frustrated as Duckworth continued interrupting. “Anyone who believes that gangs that flood our country with fentanyl or cocaine are not threats to the United States is not living in reality.”
🚨 HOLY SMOKES, MARCO RUBIO UNLEASHED. Dem Sen. Tammy Duckworth is stunned!
“ANYONE who believes that gangs that flood our country with fentanyl or cocaine are not threats to the United States is NOT LIVING IN REALITY and CERTAINLY does not reflect the opinion of most… pic.twitter.com/BxHASahA3v
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 28, 2026
The tense exchange escalated when Duckworth suggested Trump was preparing to send troops into Venezuela. Rubio dismissed the claim but reminded the committee that the president has the right to act against imminent threats.
“If there are Iranian drones deployed in Venezuela that could threaten the United States, we most certainly will address that—even if it’s located in Venezuela,” he said. “But we hope we don’t get to that point. We’re not trending in that direction. That’s a fact.”
The moment captured the deeper fault lines dividing Washington over national security, immigration, and the legal tools used to fight foreign threats—and it’s a preview of more clashes to come as Trump’s foreign policy tightens its grip.
