No Show Rubio Visits Orlando for Insulting Photo Op  

Today, Marco Rubio is taking his “The Fight Starts Now” tour through Orlando, raising increased scrutiny around his callous use of the Pulse shooting to launch his reelection campaign. Following his campaign strategy meeting at the crime scene, Rubio has repeatedly voted against commonsense gun safety measures backed by more than 8 in 10 Floridians and even accepted the NRA’s endorsement. Furthermore, Rubio’s long record of opposing equal rights for LGBT Floridians underscores how repugnant his opportunistic use of this tragedy truly is.

In response, former Orange County Democratic Executive Committee Chair Carlos Guillermo Smith made the following statement: 

“Marco Rubio claimed that the hate crime massacre against the LGBT community at Pulse nightclub caused him to rethink his run for re-election in Florida. Yet, he still refuses to support commonsense gun safety measures or legislation that treats LGBT people fairly and equally under the law. To add insult to injury, Rubio is already touting endorsements from prominent anti-gay leaders as well as from the NRA. Orlando deserves better than politicians like Marco Rubio who have shown no interest in fighting homophobia or in offering any meaningful policy solutions to gun violence.”