US secretary of state Marco Rubio slammed Democratic Senator Tim Kaine for questioning whether race played a role in the decision to grant refugee status to 59 white South African Afrikaners and said that it was you who is talking about the color of their skin.
In a heated conversation at the Senate foreign relations committee session, Rubio defended the administration's acceptance of 59 Afrikaner refugees from South Africa.
Kaine questioned the prioritisation of Afrikaners whilst cancelling established refugee programmes for other persecuted groups. This confrontation marked Rubio's most contentious interaction since his January confirmation hearing, occurring just before South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's scheduled White House meeting with Donald Trump.
"Right now, the US refugee program allows a special program for Afrikaner farmers, the first group of whom arrived at Dulles airport in Virginia not long ago, while shutting off the refugee program for everyone else," said Kaine, Clinton's former vice-presidential running mate. "Do you think Afrikaner farmers are the most persecuted group in the world?"
Rubio defended the decision, stating the 49 admitted individuals had met all requirements and faced persecution in their homeland, where farms were being seized on racial grounds. This contrasted with Trump's suspension of the general refugee resettlement programme, which had affected 100,000 previously approved individuals.
The debate intensified when Kaine highlighted other persecuted groups, including Uyghurs and Rohingyas. Rubio cited volume limitations, stating that millions of persecuted people worldwide couldn't all enter the US. Kaine dismissed claims of Afrikaner persecution as unfounded, noting an Afrikaner minister's presence in South Africa's coalition government.
Kaine emphasised the historical absence of similar programmes for Black South Africans during apartheid, questioning the fairness of religious persecution criteria. The exchange grew tenser when discussing skin colour-based standards, with Rubio asserting US rights to prioritise admissions based on national interests.
Kaine asked, “So you have a different standard based on the color of somebody’s skin. Would that be acceptable?” Rubio responded sharply, “You're the one who's talking about the colour of their skin, not me.”
In a heated conversation at the Senate foreign relations committee session, Rubio defended the administration's acceptance of 59 Afrikaner refugees from South Africa.
Kaine questioned the prioritisation of Afrikaners whilst cancelling established refugee programmes for other persecuted groups. This confrontation marked Rubio's most contentious interaction since his January confirmation hearing, occurring just before South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's scheduled White House meeting with Donald Trump.
"Right now, the US refugee program allows a special program for Afrikaner farmers, the first group of whom arrived at Dulles airport in Virginia not long ago, while shutting off the refugee program for everyone else," said Kaine, Clinton's former vice-presidential running mate. "Do you think Afrikaner farmers are the most persecuted group in the world?"
Rubio defended the decision, stating the 49 admitted individuals had met all requirements and faced persecution in their homeland, where farms were being seized on racial grounds. This contrasted with Trump's suspension of the general refugee resettlement programme, which had affected 100,000 previously approved individuals.
The debate intensified when Kaine highlighted other persecuted groups, including Uyghurs and Rohingyas. Rubio cited volume limitations, stating that millions of persecuted people worldwide couldn't all enter the US. Kaine dismissed claims of Afrikaner persecution as unfounded, noting an Afrikaner minister's presence in South Africa's coalition government.
Kaine emphasised the historical absence of similar programmes for Black South Africans during apartheid, questioning the fairness of religious persecution criteria. The exchange grew tenser when discussing skin colour-based standards, with Rubio asserting US rights to prioritise admissions based on national interests.
NEW: Senator Tim Kaine looks like he's about to burst a blood vessel in his face after Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggests he's being racist.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 20, 2025
Rubio: "The United States has a right to pick and choose who they allow in."
Kaine: "Even based on the color of somebody's skin?"… pic.twitter.com/JT1sBWS2ng
Kaine asked, “So you have a different standard based on the color of somebody’s skin. Would that be acceptable?” Rubio responded sharply, “You're the one who's talking about the colour of their skin, not me.”
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