Rubio acknowledges ‘people are struggling’ economically in speech after GOP midterm wipeout

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio gave a sweeping speech to fellow conservatives on Friday evening acknowledging that Americans are struggling in the current economy, while also railing against what he called the “weaponization” of international law to constrain the U.S. from acting in its own interests.

His comments to the conservative Federalist Society touched on a core issue of the midterm elections — economic pain — that U.S. voters cited in delivering massive losses to Rubio’s Republican Party.

“I think we have to recognize that people are struggling. There’s no doubt about it,” he said. “The health of our economy has nothing to do with the stock market. The health of their economy is whether they have enough money to be able to afford the things they need.”

President Donald Trump often points to the stock market as evidence that the economy is doing well. But voters angry over higher costs gave Democrats control of Congress after his tariffs, his war in Iran and his unfulfilled campaign promise two years ago to bring down prices.

Rubio’s remarks had the overtones of campaign speech, though the former Florida senator has consistently refused to discuss whether he would seek the presidency in 2028 in a race that could pit him against Vice President JD Vance. Rubio gave another wide-ranging speech last month in Greece that focused on Western values and also appeared to reflect his political aspirations beyond being America’s top diplomat.

Rubio on Friday defended the Iran war, arguing that it was necessary to stop the threat of the Islamic Republic obtaining a nuclear weapon. But he acknowledged that the unpopular conflict has driven up gasoline prices for Americans and other connected costs.

“It’s not easy to address these things because it’s not popular to address them,” Rubio said. “It’s difficult. And oftentimes it inflicts, you know, pain, economic pain and otherwise. So we recognize that.”

He also pointed to the need for American leaders to continue a tradition of ensuring the next generation is better off than those before them. Economic prosperity is “not self-perpetuating,” he said, but an enormous undertaking that requires years and decades and is not accomplished “election cycle to election cycle.”

“That’s the challenge before us now, because I do think there’s a legitimate fear that we will be the first generation to leave the next worse off, and that can’t happen. That’s un-American,” he said.

Rubio also hit back hard on critics of Trump administration policies such as deadly strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in Latin America, the January capture of then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and strict immigration policies.

He accused other countries and international organizations of trying to stymie the U.S. from acting in its own best interests by accusing the Trump administration of violations of international law.

“We’ve heard the concept international law invoked against nearly every major foreign policy decision or action of this administration,” he said, describing it as “the weaponization of international law.”

Rubio also condemned the United Nations, the International Criminal Court, the “global elite” and organizations staffed by “international activists and bureaucrats,” all of which he said want to weaken the United States.

“They lecture us on the importance of sovereignty, even as they demand that nations surrender control of their borders and outsource their immigration laws to unelected international courts,” Rubio said. “They oppose, they say, all forms of imperialism, of conquest, of domination, but they seek to exercise authority over every country and every government on earth.”

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AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed.