Fox News "The Kelly File" Transcript: Marco: The Choice Shouldn't Be "Assad or ISIS'

MEGYN KELLY: It was just two weeks ago that Senator Marco Rubio . . . [predicted] that Russia would launch air strikes in Syria, sparing ISIS terrorists potentially but targeting those who oppose the Assad regime -- a prediction we saw unfold earlier today. . . . Senator, you nailed it, that's exactly what we're now seeing. How did you know that was going to happen?

MARCO RUBIO: Well, it was quite predictable. . . . They may conduct some operations against ISIS, but this is not about ISIS. It's about propping up Assad, who is a client state of both Iran and Vladimir Putin. And it's about something even broader, and that is showing the world that Russia is now a power broker in the Middle East. The message they're sending is they're actually more reliable than America under Barack Obama. So this is a multifaceted plan by Vladimir Putin. . . .

MEGYN KELLY: How big a set back is this to the United States?

MARCO RUBIO: Well, it diminishes America's importance in the eyes of the world. We're beginning to look like a junior partner under Barack Obama. You saw that this week play out at the United Nations. Nations in that region -- Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Jordan, and others -- look and say, "you know, America, we've had a tough time getting them under Barack Obama to do anything meaningful. All they talk about is what they're not going to do, or how they're going to get out of here. Maybe Russia would be a good partner to work with."

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