Marco Rubio's Tone Deaf Attack On How Iran Is 'Spending Its Wealth' Is A Total Self-Own

Secretary of State Marco Rubio was called out for hypocrisy after he criticized Iran during an appearance on Good Morning America, admonishing the country for spending "billions of dollars" on weapons instead of its people.

Rubio appeared on the program to defend the increasingly unpopular war, which kicked off after the U.S., in a joint operation with Israel, authorized strikes on February 28.

He said:

“At the end of the day, I think that if there are people in Iran who, now, given everything that's happened, are willing to move in a different direction for their country, that would be great."

“Imagine an Iran that, instead of spending their wealth, billions of dollars supporting terrorists or weapons, had spent that money helping the people of Iran. You’d have a much different country. So we're always hopeful that that would exist over there."

You can hear what he said in the video below.

The irony was rich.

Rubio did not mention that roughly 15 percent of the U.S. federal budget goes to the Department of Defense, which amounts to more than $2 trillion in real terms. At the same time, about 68,000 Americans die each year because they lack access to adequate health care.

The U.S. also trails many countries on several key social indicators. It ranks 31st globally in education, 27th in social mobility, and 54th in infant mortality, performing worse in that category than places such as Serbia, Bermuda and Cuba.

In a closed-door briefing on Capitol Hill last month, Pentagon officials told lawmakers that the cost of the war with Iran had already surpassed $11.3 billion in just the first six days. That estimate excludes a number of associated expenses, including the buildup of military equipment and personnel prior to the initial strikes.

As the Pentagon continues calculating the costs incurred during the opening phase of the conflict, lawmakers expect the total to rise significantly. Earlier reports by The New York Times and The Washington Post indicated that defense officials told lawmakers the military had used $5.6 billion worth of munitions in the first two days alone.

That spending level represents a much higher burn rate than had previously been disclosed publicly. The Center for Strategic and International Studies had estimated that the first 100 hours of the operation cost $3.7 billion, or roughly $891.4 million per day.

The initial wave of attacks relied on weapons such as the AGM-154 glide bomb, which can cost between $578,000 and $836,000 each. The Navy purchased about 3,000 of these weapons nearly two decades ago. Since then, the U.S. military has indicated it plans to rely more on less expensive alternatives, including the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM). The smallest JDAM warhead costs about $1,000, while the guidance kit costs approximately $38,000.

People called out Rubio's hypocrisy.

A recent Economist–YouGov poll found that 14 percent of Americans support sending U.S. ground troops into Iran, while 62 percent oppose the idea and 24 percent remain unsure. Other surveys, including those by Ipsos and AP-NORC, produced similarly lopsided results, with opposition exceeding support by more than four to one.

In the YouGov survey, more Republicans opposed the idea than supported it, by 37 percent to 30 percent. Support is also limited among Trump’s core supporters: 41 percent of self-identified MAGA supporters backed a ground operation, while 27 percent opposed it, and 60 percent of non-MAGA Republicans said they were against sending ground troops.

This doesn't bode well for Republicans facing an uphill climb with midterm elections just months away.