Rubio: Trump’s Muslim Ban Is ‘Not Something That’s Going To Happen’

Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. speaks at a town hall in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) said he would try to derail Donald Trump’s signature proposal to ban Muslim immigrants from the U.S. if he wins reelection to his Florida Senate seat.

“That’s not a real proposal,” Rubio told CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “It’s not something that’s going to happen.”

The Florida senator, who announced last week that he was running to keep his seat after promising for months that he’d become a “private citizen” in January, said he would try to steer Trump “in a different direction” if they are both elected.

Trump’s campaign said over the weekend that the ban would now only apply to Muslims from countries that have “tremendous terrorism” in what was meant to be a slight walk-back. But the initial proposal in December called for a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States,” and the campaign has offered up several versions of it in the months since.

Rubio, a former candidate in the 2016 race, has heavily criticized Trump’s rhetoric towards Muslims, but made his own remarkable proposals on the campaign trail. After the terrorist attacks in Paris in November, the Florida Republican proposed “closing down any place — whether it’s a cafe, a diner, an internet site — any place where radicals are being inspired.”

Rubio told “Face the Nation” that he also opposed Trump’s plan to deport 11 million undocumented immigrants, saying it would be impossible to carry out.

“The reality of it is, you can’t do it,” he said. “You can’t round up and deport 11 million people. There are people that need to be deported. Criminals need to be deported. But you can’t round up and deport 11, ten, nine million people. The American people wouldn’t stand for it once they saw what it would take to make that happen.”

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. Avatar for jsfox jsfox says:

    'cause Trump isn’t going to happen and if we are really lucky either are you!

  2. Shorter Rubio: I dont know why I am back in running for Senate. I am going to lose this election. My party like bigots and I am forced to pivot away. I am the biggest bigot in this world.

  3. A toast: Here’s to keeping Trump out of the White House and returning Marco Rubio to “private citizen” status. Clinks.

    ETA: Orange juice or milk or coffee … it’s still before 8AM on the East Coast. :stuck_out_tongue:

  4. McConnell Dodges Questions On Whether Trump Is Qualified

    Rubio: Trump’s Muslim Ban Is ‘Not Something That’s Going To Happen’

    Top Aide: Trump Doesn’t Need To Know What’s Going On To Make Decisions

    GOP: Vote for our guy – he may be unqualified, making empty promises, and clueless about what’s going on, but at least he’s a virulent racist, sexist, xenophobe and all around bigot, so he’s got that going for him!

  5. Brexit is another thing that it’s supporters didn’t think was going to happen.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

14 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for mbodlomane Avatar for ajaykalra Avatar for jw1 Avatar for jsfox Avatar for srfromgr Avatar for artemisia Avatar for inversion Avatar for sickneffintired Avatar for dickweed Avatar for jcblues Avatar for ronbyers Avatar for beattycat Avatar for professorpoopypants Avatar for corncaucus2008 Avatar for ncgirl741

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: