Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen and Secretary of State Marco Rubio engaged in a fiery back-and-forth during Tuesday’s Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing.

Intense interruptions marked the entire exchange. But the fiercest of them was when Rubio mentioned Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador.

While responding to Van Hollen’s initial comments, Rubio accused Garcia of being a gang member and involved with human trafficking. Van Hollen cut him off, saying that he was spreading unsubstantiated claims.

Chairman Jim Risch, an Idaho Republican, banged his gavel and repeatedly told Van Hollen that his time had expired.

“Secretary Rubio should take that testimony to the federal court of the United States,” Van Hollen said. “Because he hasn’t done it under oath.”

Garcia was detained and deported after a traffic stop in March. A court had previously ruled that Garcia could not be deported to El Salvador due to his risk of being a target of gang violence. The Trump administration admitted Garcia’s deportation was a mistake. The Supreme Court ordered the administration to facilitate Garcia’s return. Garcia remains imprisoned in El Salvador.

Van Hollen has been a staunch defender of Garcia. He flew to El Salvador in April and met with Garcia. He has also introduced legislative measures that would require Rubio’s department to produce a human rights report on El Salvador. Van Hollen has accused the Trump administration of violating Garcia’s right to due process.

“The judicial branch cannot tell me or the president how to conduct foreign policy,” Rubio said. “No judge can tell me how I have to outreach to a foreign partner or what I have to say to them.”

“Just like a judge cannot order me to negotiate with a foreign minister of Russia, they cannot order me to negotiate with a foreign minister or the president of El Salvador,” Rubio added.

The verbal melee started immediately. Van Hollen lambasted Rubio’s leadership of the State Department. For seven minutes, all of his allotted time, Van Hollen questioned Rubio’s decision-making, discernment and decency.

“I have to tell you directly and personally that I regret voting for you as Secretary of State,” Van Hollen said as he ended his speech.

“Your regret for voting for me confirms I’m doing a good job,” Rubio responded.

The exchange momentarily devolved into chaos. Van Hollen interrupted Rubio’s response, causing Risch to stop him.

“Your time is up senator, and woefully used I might add,” Risch said. “Your remarks do not represent the view of this committee.”

When Van Hollen interrupted Rubio again moments later, Risch cut him off and told him to suspend his comments.

The Maryland senator broached a litany of grievances with Rubio.

Referencing the war in Ukraine, Van Hollen told Rubio that he and Trump had thrown Ukraine under the bus “and have been played like a fiddle by Vladimir Putin,” Van Hollen said.

On the United States Agency for International Development, Van Hollen said Rubio “stood by” while Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency “took a chainsaw” to USAID.

Van Hollen said that the abrupt dismantling of the agency led to the closure of 80 percent of emergency food kitchens in Sudan.

“People died because of those actions,” Van Hollen said. “Tons of emergency food that could have saved their lives were left rotting in warehouses because you and Elon Musk refused to let USAID do its job.”

Rubio said that he was proud of the work the administration had done with USAID, saying he didn’t regret cutting programs that didn’t make America more prosperous as a nation.

“We spent $14 million dollars for social cohesion in Mali — whatever the hell that means,” Rubio said.

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