Marco Rubio testifies in front of Senate panel, warns Syria could be 'weeks' away from collapse

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday afternoon testified in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where he warned lawmakers that Syria could be "weeks, not months" away from collapse and civil war.

The secretary defended the Trump administration's recent actions, including President Donald Trump's decision to reduce federal funding for controversial grants, as the administration cuts down on wasteful spending. 

Rubio rejected the argument that the administration is looking to withdraw from the world, highlighting his own recent international travels, which have included appearances in the Middle East, South America, Africa and Europe.

"I just hit 18 countries in 18 weeks," Rubio said. "That doesn't sound like much of a withdrawal."

Maryland Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen questioned Rubio over the recent orders, including Rubio's handling of the Russian-Ukraine war and decision to end refugee status for thousands of migrants while allowing white South Africans to apply for refugee status due to an alleged genocide in the country.

"While you've turned away from a genocide in Sudan and invented one in South Africa, you've teamed up with President Trump to throw the Ukrainian people under the bus, and have been played like a fiddle by Vladimir Putin," Van Hollen said. "You used to speak with conviction about the importance of foreign aid as a tool to advance American values and interests. Then you stood by while Elon Musk took a chainsaw to USAID and other assistance programs."

Rubio responded that if Van Hollen "regrets" supporting his confirmation, then it means he's "doing a good job."

The secretary also warned the panel that the situation in Syria is precarious and complex, but that U.S. diplomatic staff in Turkey will help Syria get the aid it needs. 

"It is our assessment that, frankly, the transitional authority, given the challenges they're facing, is maybe weeks, not many months, away from potential collapse and a full-scale civil war of epic proportions, basically the country splitting up," he said.

The warning comes after Rubio accompanied Trump to the Middle East last week, where Trump met with the new Syrian leader in Saudi Arabia. The meeting prompted Trump to implement a 180-day waiver of the sanctions on Syria, though Rubio said sanction relief alone would not be enough to stabilize the country.

“The lifting of the sanctions, its most immediate impact will be to allow neighboring countries to begin to assist the transitional authority to build governance mechanisms that allow them to actually establish government, unify the armed forces under one banner,” Rubio said. 

The secretary added that if Syria does collapse again, like it did in 2011, then it could cause chaos in the Middle East. 

Rubio is also expected to testify in front of the House Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday. 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.