Rubio acknowledges 'people are struggling' economically in speech after
GOP midterm wipeout
[November 14, 2026] By
BEN FINLEY
WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio gave a sweeping speech
to fellow conservatives on Friday evening acknowledging that Americans
are struggling in the current economy, while also railing against what
he called the “weaponization” of international law to constrain the U.S.
from acting in its own interests.
His comments to the conservative Federalist Society touched on a core
issue of the midterm elections — economic pain — that U.S. voters cited
in delivering massive losses to Rubio's Republican Party.
“I think we have to recognize that people are struggling. There’s no
doubt about it,” he said. “The health of our economy has nothing to do
with the stock market. The health of their economy is whether they have
enough money to be able to afford the things they need.”
President Donald Trump often points to the stock market as evidence that
the economy is doing well. But voters angry over higher costs gave
Democrats control of Congress after blaming Trump for his tariffs, his
war in Iran and his unfulfilled campaign promise two years ago to bring
down prices.
Rubio's remarks had the overtones of campaign speech, though the former
Florida senator has consistently refused to discuss whether he would
seek the presidency in 2028 in a race that could pit him against Vice
President JD Vance. Rubio gave another wide-ranging speech last month in
Greece that focused on Western values and also appeared to reflect his
political aspirations beyond being America’s top diplomat.
Rubio on Friday defended the Iran war, arguing that it was necessary to
stop the threat of the Islamic Republic obtaining a nuclear weapon. But
he acknowledged that the unpopular conflict has driven up gasoline
prices for Americans and other connected costs.
“It’s not easy to address these things because it’s not popular to
address them," Rubio said. “It’s difficult. And oftentimes it inflicts,
you know, pain, economic pain and otherwise. So we recognize that.”
He also pointed to the need for American leaders to continue a tradition
of ensuring the next generation is better off than those before them.
Economic prosperity is “not self-perpetuating,” he said, but an enormous
undertaking that requires years and decades and is not accomplished
“election cycle to election cycle."
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivers a keynote address at the
Federalist Society National Lawyers Convention, Friday, Nov. 13,
2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
 “That’s the challenge before us now,
because I do think there’s a legitimate fear that we will be the
first generation to leave the next worse off, and that can’t happen.
That’s un-American,” he said.
Rubio also hit back hard on critics of Trump administration policies
such as deadly strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in Latin
America, the January capture of then-Venezuelan President Nicolás
Maduro and strict immigration policies.
He accused other countries and international organizations of trying
to stymie the U.S. from acting in its own best interests by accusing
the Trump administration of violations of international law.
“We’ve heard the concept international law invoked against nearly
every major foreign policy decision or action of this
administration,” he said, describing it as “the weaponization of
international law.”
Rubio also condemned the United Nations, the International Criminal
Court, the “global elite” and organizations staffed by
“international activists and bureaucrats,” all of which he said want
to weaken the United States.
“They lecture us on the importance of sovereignty, even as they
demand that nations surrender control of their borders and outsource
their immigration laws to unelected international courts,” Rubio
said. "They oppose, they say, all forms of imperialism, of conquest,
of domination, but they seek to exercise authority over every
country and every government on earth.”
___
AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed.
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