Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) fumed at Secretary of State Marco Rubio at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee meeting, accusing the White House of putting Tehran in a position of geopolitical strength.The New Jersey senator, who has been linked to a possible 2028 presidential bid, told Rubio that President Donald Trump’s failure to end the conflict that began in February swiftly has left the Iranian regime in a “stronger negotiating position” than ever. He specifically pointed to Tehran’s ability to shut down the Strait of Hormuz, which has resulted in a surge in energy prices around the world since transit was stopped in March.“We are the strongest nation on the planet Earth, and we’re in a stalemate with Iran,” Booker said. “And now we’re begging to get back into a deal that you all dragged back in the first place.”
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) has an exchange with Subcommittee Chairman Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) during a Senate Committee on the Judiciary joint subcommittee hearing to examine District Judges v. Trump, on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, June 3, 2025, in Washington. (Rod Lamkey, Jr./AP Photo)
“There’s no one begging,” Rubio shot back. “No one’s begging for anything here. The Iranians might be begging, because their economy is losing hundreds of millions of dollars a day.”
