Whakaotihia te rerenga e whai ake nei: I te Paenga-whāwhā 5, 2017, i kii a Rubio i whakaaro a Bashar al-Assad ka taea e ia te mahi me te "kore whiu" i te mohio kaore te United States e aro nui ki te tango i a ia mai i te tari. I te rā i muri mai, ka whakamoemiti a Rubio ki a Trump
i whakahau i te whakaeke: "Na te kaha ki te whakaeke i te whare i whakarewahia ai e Assad tana whakaeke patu matū whakamate, kua maarama a Perehitini Trump ki a Assad me te hunga e whakamana ana ia kua mutu nga ra o te mahi hara pakanga me te kore whiu".