Tonight will be Marco Rubio’s 14th major debate this cycle and the notoriously self-interested candidate is still struggling to overcome his pre-approved talking points and directly address Floridians.
In the first senate debate, Marco Rubio denied the scientific reality of climate change, reiterated his opposition to women’s health care, and refused to unendorse Donald Trump — despite still believing he’s a ‘con artist’ who can’t be trusted with the nuclear codes. Rubio failed to explain why he has the worst voting record of any Florida senator in nearly 50 years and refused to unequivocally rule out abandoning his job to run for president.
Tonight, Marco Rubio owes Floridians answers:
1. Do you agree with Donald Trump that the two of you are “very much in sync”?
Donald Trump bragged that Marco Rubio’s success is largely dependent on him being “in sync” with Trump’s own campaign this week. In a CBS poll, Florida Republicans said that they would still choose Donald Trump over Marco Rubio to be the GOP presidential nominee, making Rubio’s feeble insistence that he will be a “check and balance” on Trump even less believable. When Trump brags that Rubio is ‘in sync’ with him, he’s underscoring the anti-science, anti-woman, anti-immigrant positions that both candidates are promising to act on, as well as Rubio’s inability to hold him accountable.
2. During your failed presidential bid, you argued that conservatives could not trust Trump to appoint like-mind ed Supreme Court justices. Now you cite the Supreme Court as the reason you’re voting for him. Were you lying then, or are you lying now?
Marco Rubio said that he continues to stand by everything he ever said about Donald Trump during his failed presidential run, but earlier this year said he doubted Trump’s fitness to appoint a new Justice. Either he doesn’t really stand by everything he said in his campaign, or he doesn’t really trust Trump’s appointment ability.
3. Do you agree with Trump that the First Amendment needs to be reigned in to allow politicians to sue the press?
In a recent interview here in Florida, Trump complained that “our press is allowed to say whatever they want” and talked about the benefits of having a system where you can successfully sue the press. Rubio has failed to get Trump to back down on any issue, but voters still deserve to know if Rubio supports his nominee’s desire to weaken the first amendment.
4. Will you unequivocally rule out running for President in 2020?
A new poll this morning said that nearly half of Florida voters still believe Rubio is planning a 2020 presidential run. This is a ‘yes or no’ question, yet every time the subject is broached with Rubio, he dodges the question. While Patrick Murphy pledged to serve a full six-year term in the U.S. Senate, Marco Rubio refuses to sign the “Full Time Senator Pledge.” How can Floridians trust Rubio to keep his word on anything when he’s always giving himself an out?
5. Multiple sexual assault allegations weren’t enough for you to withdraw your endorsement of Donald Trump. Is there anything Trump can do that would lead you to unendorse?
Marco Rubio’s choice for president boasted about sexual assault on tape. This follows months of racist, misogynistic, bigoted, anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim rhetoric and behavior. Trump even confirmed this week he had violated the Cuban embargo, which has been a priority issue for Rubio, and the self-interested Senator hasn’t held him accountable for it. If none of this is enough for Marco Rubio to deem Trump unfit for the Presidency, what will it take?