Sec. Rubio: ‘There’s a Lot of Work To Be Done to Realign Everything We Do at the State Department with Our National Interest’

HERRIDGE You ve been ░░░░░░░░ of State for 30 ░░░░░░░░ Rubio Yeah HERRIDGE Yes ░░░░░░░░ s right What have ░░░░░░░░ learned and what has ░░░░░░░░ accomplished Rubio Well I ░░░░░░░░ first of all what ░░░░░░░░ ve learned is a ░░░░░░░░ things We have good ░░░░░░░░ that work at the ░░░░░░░░ Department What the challenge ░░░░░░░░ s reconfirmed my view ░░░░░░░░ there s a lot ░░░░░░░░ work to be done ░░░░░░░░ realign everything we do ░░░░░░░░ the State Department with ░░░░░░░░ national interest That s ░░░░░░░░ our foreign policy needs ░░░░░░░░ be about And that ░░░░░░░░ been lost over the ░░░░░░░░ the idea that we ░░░░░░░░ to define what our ░░░░░░░░ interest is and then ░░░░░░░░ that everything we do ░░░░░░░░ dollar we spend every ░░░░░░░░ we operate every word ░░░░░░░░ say is in furtherance ░░░░░░░░ the national interest HERRIDGE ░░░░░░░░ that if I could ░░░░░░░░ in is that what ░░░░░░░░ America First State Department ░░░░░░░░ like Rubio Yeah an ░░░░░░░░ First State Department is ░░░░░░░░ an America only State ░░░░░░░░ It s a State ░░░░░░░░ that defines what is ░░░░░░░░ important national interest the ░░░░░░░░ States has in different ░░░░░░░░ of the world and ░░░░░░░░ everything we do is ░░░░░░░░ with that principle And ░░░░░░░░ s been lost I ░░░░░░░░ by and large in ░░░░░░░░ foreign policy for a ░░░░░░░░ time I think you ░░░░░░░░ track it back without ░░░░░░░░ into history lessons in ░░░░░░░░ post Cold War era ░░░░░░░░ the U S was ░░░░░░░░ sole superpower and we ░░░░░░░░ called into doing all ░░░░░░░░ of things that no ░░░░░░░░ country in the world ░░░░░░░░ do And some of ░░░░░░░░ was not aligned with ░░░░░░░░ foreign or our national ░░░░░░░░ because we hadn t ░░░░░░░░ defined what the national ░░░░░░░░ is It also means ░░░░░░░░ are things in the ░░░░░░░░ that are important and ░░░░░░░░ matter and that are ░░░░░░░░ causes but they can ░░░░░░░░ be a priority because ░░░░░░░░ priority first and foremost ░░░░░░░░ to be on the ░░░░░░░░ interest of the United ░░░░░░░░ So I think this ░░░░░░░░ by and large an ░░░░░░░░ of people that seek ░░░░░░░░ and if you give ░░░░░░░░ clear direction about what ░░░░░░░░ re trying to pursue ░░░░░░░░ accomplish they ll go ░░░░░░░░ and they ll do ░░░░░░░░ And that s how ░░░░░░░░ re trying to align ░░░░░░░░ as we have to ░░░░░░░░ our job on a ░░░░░░░░ basis is what our ░░░░░░░░ hope is to align ░░░░░░░░ give the State Department ░░░░░░░░ missions from the field ░░░░░░░░ our embassies and people ░░░░░░░░ across the world all ░░░░░░░░ way to the seventh ░░░░░░░░ where I work.”