Virginia Senator Tim Kaine just poked fun at Donald Trump, while also getting Secretary of State Marco Rubio to admit the president made a significant mistake.
At Rubio’s Senate Committee Hearing, Tim Kaine opened up to ask, “The president repeatedly mistook Iceland for Greenland, right? We’re not mad at Iceland, correct?”
He said Iceland, you idiot. pic.twitter.com/jd4CFNtB8a
— Blue Georgia (@BlueATLGeorgia) January 21, 2026
Rubio responded, saying, “Yeah, he meant to say Greenland, but I think we’re all familiar with presidents who have verbal stumbles. Some made a lot more than this one…” However, Kaine cut in to say “nice try,” before launching a series of questions relating to latest happenings in Venezuela.
Previously, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had denied that Trump had made the mistake, saying to a reporter at a previous press conference, “No he didn’t, Libby. His written remarks referred to Greenland as a ‘piece of ice’ because that’s what it is. You’re the only one mixing anything up here.”
No he didn’t, Libby. His written remarks referred to Greenland as a “piece of ice” because that’s what it is.
You’re the only one mixing anything up here. https://t.co/awRQO3eN3Y pic.twitter.com/pkAQysW06h
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) January 21, 2026
After Kaine made the comment, the Democrat senator launched into a blunt statement relating to Nicolas Maduro’s arrest. “I’d like to talk about the complete weakness of the legal rationale about the strikes on boats, but I can’t because the administration has only shared it in a classified setting,” he said.
“I can’t tell you why the rationale for attacking Venezuela is hollow, because again it was shared in a closed setting,” Kaine added to Rubio.
Meanwhile, according to the prepared remarks for the hearing on Venezuela, Rubio is set to defend the US president’s decisions to remove Maduro to face drug trafficking charges in the US. He will also defend the continued deadly military strikes on boats suspected of being used to smuggle drugs, and to seize sanctioned tankers carrying Venezuelan oil. Moreover, he is set to again reject allegations that Trump is violating the Constitution by taking such actions.
“There is no war against Venezuela, and we did not occupy a country,” Marco Rubio will say, according to the prepared remarks. “There are no US troops on the ground. This was an operation to aid law enforcement.”
Meanwhile, Maduro has pleaded not guilty to federal drug trafficking charges in a US court and has defiantly said he is the president of his country and will protest his capture.
Congressional Democrats have slammed Trump’s actions as exceeding the authority of the executive branch. However, most Republicans back his actions, deeming them a legitimate exercise of presidential power.
As noted by the Mirror, Marco Rubio told senators at the hearing that funds from oil sales will be placed in an account controlled by the US Treasury. He will also state that Venezuela’s leaders have agreed to submit a monthly budget for US approval before the proceeds can be spent.
According to Rubio, the idea is to generate funds to stabilize Venezuela, while also ensuring that the proceeds will serve the Venezuelan people and not just government insiders.
“The funds from that will be deposited into an account that we will have oversight over,” Rubio said. Venezuela, he said, “will spend that money for the benefit of the Venezuelan people.”
