U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in Brussels this week seeking to reassure NATO allies that the United States remains committed to the military alliance.
The timing, however, is a bit precarious considering the trip comes as world leaders continue to speak out against tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on all U.S. trade partners.
State Department principal deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the tariffs are about bolstering U.S. national security, which will in turn bolster the NATO alliance.
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"When it comes to the tariff announcement, ultimately, you have to remember the two fundamental pillars that are driving this announcement," Pigott told Scripps news. "First: Putting the American worker first. And second: National security. When you have a strong America, when you have a manufacturing base that is based in the United States, when you have the ability for workers to see their real wages rise, get good paying jobs, see wealth creation in this country, that creates a strong America.
"When you have a strong America, you can have peace through strength," Pigott added. "When you have peace through strength, that not only benefits the United States, it benefits all of our allies across the world."
Meanwhile, one of the Trump administration's early initiatives has included mass deportations, including attempts to remove non-citizens from the country who have expressed pro-Palestinian opinions. On the topic of deporting individuals with student Visas or protected status, Pigott said there are vetting procedures that don't necessarily end once those individuals are legally permitted into the country.
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"That vetting procedure continues when someone is within the country, continues when someone has that Visa," he told Scripps News. "And if they do something that's contrary to what they told us when they apply for that Visa — if they break our laws, if they violate the conditions of how they have that — they may see that Visa revoked. Again, I can't speak to specific cases, but ultimately what we're seeing is the enforcing of our laws and making sure that vetting process, again, continues."
Watch Scripps News' full interview with Tommy Pigott, State Department principal deputy spokesperson, in the video player above.
