{"id":2248603,"date":"2024-05-20T12:29:03","date_gmt":"2024-05-20T16:29:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/marco-rubio-turns-the-tables-when-meet-the-press-anchor-tries-to-trap-him-with-a-gotcha-question\/"},"modified":"2024-05-20T12:34:12","modified_gmt":"2024-05-20T16:34:12","slug":"marco-rubio-turns-the-tables-when-meet-the-press-anchor-tries-to-trap-him-with-a-gotcha-question","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/marco-rubio-turns-the-tables-when-meet-the-press-anchor-tries-to-trap-him-with-a-gotcha-question\/","title":{"rendered":"Marco Rubio flips the script on &#8216;Meet the Press&#8217; anchor with clever response to &#8216;Gotcha&#8217; question"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">32<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmarco-rubio-turns-the-tables-when-meet-the-press-anchor-tries-to-trap-him-with-a-gotcha-question%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2248603&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Florida Sen. Marco Rubio&#8217;s recent \u200bappearance on &#8220;Meet the Press&#8221; stirred\u200c controversy as host \u2063Kristen Welker \u200dposed challenging questions \u200bon illegal immigration. Rubio&#8217;s responses highlighted the complexities of the issue, \u2064showcasing\u200b differing viewpoints and the need for decisive action. The exchange underscored \u200cthe \u2062ongoing debate surrounding\u2063 immigration policies \u200cin the U.S. Florida\u2064 Senator Marco Rubio&#8217;s recent interview on &#8220;Meet \u2064the Press&#8221; sparked \u2062debate as host \u2062Kristen Welker tackled tough questions on illegal immigration. Rubio&#8217;s nuanced responses shed light on the issue&#8217;s complexities, emphasizing diverse perspectives and the call\u200b for \u200bdefinitive measures. The \u2063dialogue emphasized the enduring discourse on immigration \u2063policies within the U.S.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<header> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/commentary\/\">  Commentary <\/a>   <span> <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/author\/georgeupper\/\">  <\/a> <\/p>\n<p> <span>   By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/author\/georgeupper\/%20\"><span>George C. Upper III<\/span><\/a> <\/span> <span>   May 20, 2024 at 6:44am <\/span> <\/span>  <\/header>\n<section>\n<p>Florida Sen. Marco Rubio appeared on \u201cMeet the Press\u201d on Sunday, and the interview didn\u2019t seem to go the way the show\u2019s host seemed to be hoping.<\/p>\n<p>Kristen Welker, who took over as moderator on the show from Chuck Todd last December, seemed to be trying to embarrass Rubio \u2014 who was born in Miami to parents who had immigrated from Cuba in 1956 \u2014 on the subject of, of course, illegal immigration.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf re-elected, Donald Trump has said he\u2019s willing to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rubio-supports-mass-deportation-of-illegal-aliens-following-invasion-of-the-country\/\" title=\"Rubio Backs Mass Deportation After Alleged Country Invasion\">build migrant detention camps<\/a> and deploy the U.S. military to deport the more than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-pushes-congress-to-pass-bill-allowing-11-million-immigrants-to-gain-citizenship\/\" title=\"Biden Pushes Congress to Pass Bill Allowing 11 Million Immigrants to Gain Citizenship\">11 million undocumented immigrants<\/a> in this country,\u201d Welker said. \u201cIt would be the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watch-was-trump-overcome-with-emotions-when-talking-about-america-as-nation-in-decline\/\" title=\"Watch: Did Trump Get Emotional Discussing America as a 'Declining Nation'?\">largest deportation operation<\/a> in American history. Do you support that plan?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEleven million?\u201d Rubio responded, chuckling. \u201cThat\u2019s an outdated \u2014 that was the number 10 years ago. We\u2019re talking upwards of 20, 25 million, maybe 30 million.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s been almost 10 million people that have entered this country unlawfully in the last three years,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>Welker, never one to let a little thing like actual data get in the way of her narrative, tried to dismiss Rubio\u2019s objection by saying, \u201cThe number varies,\u201d as if a difference of roughly 100 to 170 percent were a rounding error.<\/p>\n<p>Rubio was forced to chuckle again as he agreed with her \u2014 sort of. \u201cThe number varies big time,\u201d he said, repeating the argument that something close to Welker\u2019s figure of 11 million had crossed the border over overstayed their visas during <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/biden-admin-planning-roll-cards-illegal-immigrants-summer-10000-cards-first-round-issue-across-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">President Joe Biden<\/a>\u2018s term alone.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe answer to your question,\u201d Rubio said, \u201cis yes. We cannot absorb 25, 30 million who have entered this country illegally. They are here illegally,\u201d he added for emphasis.<\/p>\n<p>The Florida Republican said that no country in the world would allow <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/biden-administration-makes-rule-change-give-taxpayer-funded-health-insurance-100000-illegal-immigrants\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">illegal immigration<\/a> in those numbers, and that Biden administration claims of \u201cvetting\u201d meant little given that many illegals come from countries lacking trustworthy documentation to begin with.<\/p>\n<div id=\"firefly-poll-container\">\n<p>Do you support a mass deportation of illegal immigrants?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Rubio said it would require \u201cdramatic\u201d action to remove so many illegal immigrants and again pointed out that Welker\u2019s figure of 11 million illegals was outdated.<\/p>\n<p>As if none of that conversation had happened, Welker than showed Rubio three clips of Rubio in 2016, when he was running for president against the ultimately victorious <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/trump-crushes-biden-across-board-swing-state-poll-immigration-crisis-taking-center-stage\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Donald Trump<\/a>, stating that he disagreed with Trump\u2019s stated plan to deport 11 million illegals.<\/p>\n<p>Most sentient beings at this point would have realized that Rubio had already argued against the premise of Welker\u2019s line of questioning \u2014<a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/rubio-grills-dr-fauci-americans-covid-cant-get-country-illegals-can\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rubio<\/a> said at least three times that 11 million was essentially a silly (my word, not his) number to use in relation to the number of illegals in the country.<\/p>\n<p>But Welker had a trap to spring, and by golly, she was going to spring it \u2026 even if it meant that she was going to have to chew off her own leg later.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo, why have you changed your mind now?\u201d she asked, in what had probably been conceived as a \u201cgotcha\u201d moment but only really made her look like an unprepared interviewer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause the issue has completely changed,\u201d Rubio said confidently. \u201cWhen I said that, [and] back in 2013 when I was involved in immigration reform, we had 11, 12 million people that had been here for longer than a decade. Now we\u2019ve had almost the number in the last three years alone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I don\u2019t blame him for repeating that point, honestly, as there was literally no evidence whatsoever that Welker had heard him the first few times he\u2019d made it.<\/p>\n<p>Rubio said that he believed that some of the people who have entered the country illegal had done so with the intent of committing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/illegals-caught-explosives-tailored-terrorism-gop-raising-new-alarms-bidens-risky-border-policies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">terror attacks<\/a> against the U.S. and that there\u2019s really no question that at least some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/dog-bounty-hunter-floats-plan-tackle-top-echelon-illegal-immigrants-got-hunt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">illegals were criminals<\/a> in their home countries.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is not immigration,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is not immigration. This is mass migration. Mass migration.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is an invasion of the country and it needs to be dealt with dramatically,\u201d he concluded \u2014 though he added a footnote.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBy the way \u2026 polls show most Americans agree with us on this,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>You can watch the clip below \u2014 which, I will add with a bit of grudging respect, was posted to X by the show itself.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">WATCH: In 2016, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SenMarcoRubio?\">@SenMarcoRubio<\/a> (R-Fla.) said Donald Trump\u2019s mass-deportation proposals weren\u2019t \u201crealistic.\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/kwelkernbc?\">@kwelkernbc<\/a>: \u201cWhy have you changed your mind now?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rubio: \u201cThe issue has completely changed. \u2026 This is mass migration \u2026 and it needs to be dealt with dramatically.\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Dj7AMBNvdM\">pic.twitter.com\/Dj7AMBNvdM<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MeetThePress\/status\/1792264299085193427?\">May 19, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Responses to the posted video on X largely sided with Rubio, with a handful of exceptions.<\/p>\n<p>One X user, for example, <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Shasta4737\/status\/1792433398960595139\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">wrote<\/a>: \u201cWow, Rubio totally owned Welker in this interview. I\u2019m a Democrat, but I was impressed with his interview.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div>\n<p><b><i>An Important Message from Our Staff:<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><i><span>In just a few months, the world is going to change forever. The 2024 election is the single most important election of our lifetime. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>We here at The Western Journal are committed to covering it in a way the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/caitlin-clark-lands-historic-nike-shoe-deal-worth-millions-just-before-her-rookie-season-kicks-off\/\" title=\"Caitlin Clark Secures Multi-Million Dollar Nike Deal Ahead of Rookie Season Kickoff\">establishment media simply<\/a> will not: We will tell the truth, and they will lie.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>But Big Tech and the elites don\u2019t want the truth out. That\u2019s why they have cut us off from 90% of advertisers. Imagine if someone cut your monthly income by 90%. That\u2019s what they\u2019ve done to people like us. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>As a staff, we are asking you to <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/subscribe\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>join us<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>  to fight this once-in<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-forced-to-cancel-rally-devastated-by-whats-coming-im-so-sorry-god-be-with-you\/\" title=\"Trump expresses deep regret and cancels rally, sending heartfelt apologies and prayers\">-a-lifetime fight<\/a>. Without you not only will The Western Journal fail, but America will fail also. As Benjamin Franklin said, \u201cWe must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>Will you support The Western Journal today and <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/subscribe\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>become a member<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>A Western Journal <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/subscribe\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>Membership<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>  costs less than one coffee and breakfast sandwich each month, and it gets you access to ALL of our content \u2014 news, commentary, and premium articles. You\u2019ll experience a radically reduced number of ads, and most importantly you will be vitally supporting the fight for America\u2019s soul in 2024.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>This is the time. America will live or die based on what happens this year. Please <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/subscribe\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>join us<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>  to get the real truth out and to fight the elites, Big Tech, and the people who want America to fail. Together, we really can save the country.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><b><i>Thank you for your support!<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><i><span>P.S. <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/subscribe\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>Please stand with us<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>!<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"after-article-tags\">\n<p>  Tags:<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/tag\/american-history\/\" rel=\"tag\">American history<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/tag\/border-crisis\/\" rel=\"tag\">Border crisis<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/tag\/border-security\/\" rel=\"tag\">Border security<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/tag\/deportation\/\" rel=\"tag\">Deportation<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" rel=\"tag\">Donald Trump<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/tag\/mainstream-media\/\" rel=\"tag\">Establishment media<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/tag\/illegal-immigration\/\" rel=\"tag\">Illegal immigration<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/tag\/interview\/\" rel=\"tag\">Interview<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/tag\/joe-biden\/\" rel=\"tag\">Joe Biden<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/tag\/liberal-media\/\" rel=\"tag\">Liberal media<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/tag\/marco-rubio\/\" rel=\"tag\">Marco Rubio<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/tag\/media-bias\/\" rel=\"tag\">Media bias<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/tag\/media-watch\/\" rel=\"tag\">Media watch<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/tag\/meet-the-press\/\" rel=\"tag\">Meet the Press<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/tag\/us-news\/\" rel=\"tag\">U.S. News<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/tag\/video\/\" rel=\"tag\">Video<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div id=\"author-info-44802\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/author\/georgeupper\/\">  <\/a> <\/p>\n<div>\n<p><label for=\"summary-tab-radio-44802\">Summary<\/label><label for=\"more-info-tab-radio-44802\">More<span> Biographical Information<\/span><\/label><label for=\"posts-tab-radio-44802\">Recent<span> Posts<\/span><\/label><label for=\"contact-tab-radio-44802\" onclick=\"if( typeof grecaptcha=='undefined' ) { let cap_s=document.createElement( 'script' ); cap_s.src='https:\/\/www.google.com\/recaptcha\/api.js?render=6LeJFcsUAAAAAPsIEqvB1EebWbZfqRUe6ebMpGy7'; document.body.appendChild( cap_s ); }\">Contact<\/label><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>George Upper is the former Editor-in-Chief of The Western Journal and was a weekly co-host of &#8220;WJ Live,&#8221; powered by The Western Journal. He is currently a contributing editor in the areas of faith, politics and culture. A former U.S. Army special operator, teacher and consultant, he is a lifetime member of the NRA and an active volunteer leader in his church. Born in Foxborough, Massachusetts, he has lived most of his life in central North Carolina.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>  George Upper, is the former editor-in-chief of The Western Journal and is now a contributing editor in the areas of faith, politics and culture. He currently serves as the connections pastor at Awestruck Church in Greensboro, North Carolina. He is a former U.S. Army special operator, teacher, manager and consultant. Born in Massachusetts, he graduated from Foxborough High School before joining the Army and spending most of the next three years at Fort Bragg. He holds bachelor&#8217;s and master&#8217;s degrees in English as well as a Master&#8217;s in Business Administration, all from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He and his wife life only a short drive from his three children, their spouses and his grandchildren. He is a lifetime member of the NRA and in his spare time he shoots, reads a lot of Lawrence Block and John D. MacDonald, and watches Bruce Campbell movies. He is a fan of individual freedom, Tommy Bahama, fine-point G-2 pens and the Oxford comma. <\/p>\n<p>  Birthplace <\/p>\n<p>  Foxborough, Massachusetts <\/p>\n<p>  Nationality <\/p>\n<p>  American <\/p>\n<p>  Honors\/Awards <\/p>\n<p>  Beta Gamma Sigma <\/p>\n<p>  Education <\/p>\n<p>  B.A., English, UNCG; M.A., English, UNCG; MBA, UNCG <\/p>\n<p>  Location <\/p>\n<p>  North Carolina <\/p>\n<p>  Languages Spoken <\/p>\n<p>  English <\/p>\n<p>  Topics of Expertise <\/p>\n<p>  Faith, Business, Leadership and Management, Military, Politics <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Florida Sen. Marco Rubio&#8217;s recent appearance on &#8220;Meet the Press&#8221; raised eyebrows. The interview, hosted by Kristen Welker, took an unexpected turn. Rubio&#8217;s responses left the host seemingly surprised. The exchange added an intriguing twist to the show&#8217;s dynamic<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2010,"featured_media":2248604,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Kristen-Welker-and-Marco-Rubio.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2248603","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Kristen-Welker-and-Marco-Rubio.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2248603","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2010"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2248603"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2248603\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2248604"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2248603"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2248603"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2248603"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}