In his first nationally televised interview since suspending his campaign Tuesday, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) declined to throw his full support behind Donald Trump as the presumptive GOP nominee.
Speaking with CNN’s Jake Tapper, Rubio shared the reservations he has about Trump as the GOP standard bearer.
“Here’s the situation we’re in,” Rubio said. “On the one hand I don’t want Hillary Clinton to be the president of the United States. I don’t want her to win this election. On the other hand, as I said, I have well defined differences with the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party. I intend to live up to the pledge that we made. But that said, these concerns that I have about policy, they remain, and they’re there.”
In recent weeks, Rubio has said he thought Trump’s performance had “improved significantly.” But in the interview with Tapper, Rubio said the unusual tone of the 2016 election made it difficult to support Trump, adding “I don’t know if there is well established road map forward” in terms of backing the real estate mogul.
The Florida senator suggested that Trump should deploy surrogates that truly believe in his message, rather than change his political views to get GOPers who, like Rubio, are unenthusiastic about his candidacy to support him.
“He’s the presumptive nominee but he would be best served by having surrogates who agree with him on these issues,” he said. “My reservations about his campaign and my political differences with him are well documented and they remain and I think he would be best served by having people close to him and his campaign that are enthusiastic about the things he ands for.”
Rubio also rejected the idea of a Trump-Rubio ticket, noting that he hadn’t been approached by the Trump campaign to be the businessman’s running mate.
“No, he needs to appoint someone that more fully embraces the things he stands for,” Rubio said.
When Tapper pointed out that wouldn’t be too late for Rubio to file for re-election to his Senate seat, Rubio shot down that proposition, too.
“It is for me,” he said.
Watch below:
This is going to haunt them for decades. This will be like “where were you when you learned Kennedy had been shot?” When it is all done they will have wished they voted twice for the Iraq war and Vietnam.
This is getting painful to watch. It’s as if, if, IF they could just find the right WORDS they could make Trump fit the suit. Nope. They are in for a big world of hurt.
Rubio has already publicly declined to be his running mate…joining what is becoming a very long list of republicans. Embarrassing long, if Trump could feel embarrassment.
Weasel words. Which is why you’re a nobody now.
In honor of your disappearing from the Republican field of know-nothing nobodies, and in your effort to join the secret society of other lightweight nobodies:
Mr. Nobody
By Anonymous
I know a funny little man,
As quiet as a mouse,
Who does the mischief that is done
In everybody’s house!
There’s no one ever sees his face,
And yet we all agree
That every plate we break was cracked
By Mr. Nobody.
’Tis he who always tears out books,
Who leaves the door ajar,
He pulls the buttons from our shirts,
And scatters pins afar;
That squeaking door will always squeak,
For prithee, don’t you see,
We leave the oiling to be done
By Mr. Nobody.
He puts damp wood upon the fire
That kettles cannot boil;
His are the feet that bring in mud,
And all the carpets soil.
The papers always are mislaid;
Who had them last, but he?
There’s no one tosses them about
But Mr. Nobody.
The finger marks upon the door
By none of us are made;
We never leave the blinds unclosed,
To let the curtains fade.
The ink we never spill; the boots
That lying round you see
Are not our boots,—they all belong
To Mr. Nobody.