Amid President Donald Trump's visit to the Middle East starting in Saudi Arabia, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said he is "more vocal and open" about holding countries accountable for their human rights record than the White House.
"I think it's in our national security interest to advocate for democracy and freedom and human rights," Sen. Rubio told host Jake Tapper on CNN's "State of the Union."
"The White House and I have a different approach on the issue of human rights. I'm much more forceful and open and vocal about criticizing whether it's Egypt or Saudi Arabia for its human rights record."
Tapper asked Rubio Trump's statement Sunday in Riyadh: "We are not here to lecture. We are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to be or how to worship."
Rubio said he would not have said that himself, but he is not president, despite his disagreements on approach.
"The White House is convinced they can get better results by addressing those issues in private, one-on-one," he said.
". . . We just have a disagreement on the right way to approach it. They have their approach and I have mine, but he's the president, and so our hope is that they will at least continue to raise these issues in private as I am told they will do. . . .
"But we just have a difference in approach, there's no doubt."
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