Rubio Warns GOP: Stop Exploiting Wikileaks Because We Could Be Next

UNITED STATES - SEPTEMBER 15: Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., talks with a reporter aboard the Senate subway after a vote in the Capitol, September 15, 2016. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call) (CQ Roll Call via AP Images)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Marco Rubio warned fellow Republicans that those who “capitalize politically” on leaked Democratic emails may see the tables turned on them in the future.

“As our intelligence agencies have said, these leaks are an effort by a foreign government to interfere with our electoral process and I will not indulge it,” Rubio told ABC News Wednesday morning. “Further, I want to warn my fellow Republicans who may want to capitalize politically on these leaks: Today it is the Democrats. Tomorrow it could be us.”

“I will not discuss any issue that has become public solely on the basis of Wikileaks,” Rubio said.

Donald Trump has leaned heavily on Wikileaks revelations on the campaign trail, despite assertions from the U.S. intelligence community that the published emails were stolen—from the DNC, Clinton campaign chair John Podesta, and others—by Russian-backed hackers.

“It defies logic,” retired Gen. Michael Hayden, former director of the CIA and the National Security Agency, told the Washington Post, referring to Trump’s refusal to acknowledge Russia’s role in the hacks.

At the second presidential debate, Trump wondered aloud: “Maybe there is no hacking.”

Rubio, who began campaigning for re-election to his Senate seat after losing to Trump in the Republican presidential primaries, has said he would provide a check on a possible Trump presidency.

On Monday night, at a debate against his opponent Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-FL), Rubio forcefully rebuked Trump’s now-frequent claim that the election would be “rigged.”

“We have 67 counties in this state, each of which conduct their own elections,” he said. “I promise you there is not a 67-county conspiracy to rig this election.”

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. Avatar for cathie cathie says:

    He is correct.

  2. While he may be correct, I don;t think that we would learn much that we don;t already know…

    The R’s use such bald faced tactics that the need for subterfuge is minimal…

  3. It may be an indication that Rubio is seeing collapsing internals.

  4. “Rubio Emails To Rentboy” coming to a tabloid near you in 5, 4, 3, 2, …

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

63 more replies

Participants

Avatar for doremus_jessup Avatar for dr_coyote Avatar for fgs Avatar for meri Avatar for mondfledermaus Avatar for leftflank Avatar for economides Avatar for steviedee111 Avatar for inversion Avatar for hychka Avatar for sickneffintired Avatar for clearwater Avatar for ralph_vonholst Avatar for jegan Avatar for geofu54 Avatar for hora_del_cafe Avatar for stiggy Avatar for dickweed Avatar for ronbyers Avatar for reggid Avatar for antisachetdethe Avatar for jordanolsen26 Avatar for firewing2 Avatar for centralasiaexpat

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: