Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a fiery defense of the U.S. government’s decision to revoke the visa of a Columbia University student who helped organize anti-Israel protests, insisting that the United States will not tolerate foreign nationals engaging in activities that support terrorism or disrupt national security.

Appearing on CBS’s Face the Nation, Rubio faced off against host Margaret Brennan, who questioned whether there was evidence linking the student, Mahmoud Khalil, to Hamas. Rubio wasted no time in making his position clear.

“If you had told us that you were coming to the U.S. to participate in pro-Hamas events, you wouldn’t have gotten a visa in the first place,” Rubio stated. “Now, you’re here, you did it, and you lied to us. You’re out. It’s that simple.”

When Brennan pressed Rubio on whether there was concrete evidence of material support for terrorism, the Secretary of State snapped back with a blunt retort: “You should watch the news.” He pointed out that the protests, which Khalil helped lead, were not peaceful demonstrations but violent takeovers of campus buildings, acts of vandalism, and intimidation of Jewish students.

“These guys take over entire buildings. They vandalize colleges. They shut down colleges,” Rubio said, calling out the media for downplaying the severity of the campus riots. When Brennan insisted that CBS had covered the issue extensively, Rubio fired back: “Well then you should know.”

Rubio dismissed the argument that Khalil was simply expressing a political viewpoint, stating that the student was more than just a participant—he was a spokesperson and negotiator for a movement that turned a prestigious university into chaos.

Rubio made it clear that Khalil’s visa revocation was just the beginning. “We’re going to do more,” he said. “Every day now, we are approving visa revocations. And if that visa led to a green card, that process will be revoked as well.”

Dismissing concerns raised by media and progressive activists that the government was unfairly targeting pro-Palestinian voices, Rubio pointed out that the Biden administration had no hesitation in pressuring social media companies to censor conservative speech. He called out the hypocrisy of those now defending Khalil, stating: “They had no problem pressuring social media to censor American political speech. Now, suddenly, they’re defenders of free speech?”

Rubio stressed that the policy applies broadly, not just to Hamas supporters. “We don’t want terrorists in America,” he said. “I don’t know how hard that is to understand.”

The visa revocation is part of a broader push by the administration to root out individuals who undermine U.S. foreign policy and national security. Rubio dismissed the idea that a visa is a right, calling it a privilege granted to those who abide by the laws and interests of the United States.

“We don’t want people in our country who are committing crimes and undermining our national security,” Rubio said. “Especially people who are here as guests. A visa is not a birthright.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)