Tuhia he haere tonu mo tenei irava - 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, i whakamoemiti a Rubio ki te whakaekenga a Trump
: "Na te kaha ki te whakaeke i te whare i whakaekehia ai e Assad tana patu patu matū, 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".