Marco Rubio sees China ‘problem’ for Joe Biden UN Ambassador pick

Marco Rubio blasts 'woke' culture. Image via Reuters.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio continued Wednesday night to sound alarms about a Joe Biden nominee to be Ambassador to the United Nations, hours after a pointed back and forth with her during a confirmation meeting of the Committee on Foreign Relations.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, President Joe Biden’s pick for the spot, gave a speech at Savannah State University two years ago, an event with a $1,500 honorarium in which she extolled the potential of an expanded Chinese role in Africa under the auspices of the Confucius Institutes.

The Senator has warned that the institutes are used by the Chinese Communist Party to “infiltrate American universities,” and Thomas-Greenfield’s involvement with them struck him as a “problem,” he said Wednesday night on Fox News Primetime.

Rubio questioned the plausibility of a 35-year foreign policy veteran being ignorant of the soft-power purpose of the Confucius Institutes.

“That’s a problem for me. I don’t understand how she could not have known that,” the Senator told host Maria Bartiromo.

During the Committee on Foreign Relations’ confirmation hearing, Rubio pressed Thomas-Greenfield on naivete about Beijing.

“So, the Confucius Institute, and what they’re doing in the U.S., is an element of soft power and/or influence. It’s not only well documented, but also, I would imagine that in the 35 years of service to our country, it’s something you had to have been aware of,” Rubio said. “Were you not aware of who the Confucius Institute was and the concerns about them when you accepted that speech?”

For his part, Rubio drew a concession from the nominee, one where she acknowledged finding out about the Confucius Institute operations after she spoke.

“And, as I have said, I truly regret having accepted that invitation and having had my name associated with the Confucius Institute,” she said, noting that she had spoken at the university before and did not realize she was speaking in association with the institute.

Rubio and Thomas-Greenfield also had an exchange about whether genocide was being perpetrated on the Uyghur Muslims, she refused to commit to an answer, saying the current State Department is reviewing the guidance.

Rubio addressed her non-answer on Fox News also, saying “it was code for ‘no, but I want to get confirmed’.”

Republicans howl at any sign of detente between Biden Democrats and the regime in Beijing, and what’s clear is Rubio’s concerns will resonate with others in the caucus.