Marco Rubio has been notably reluctant to take on Donald Trump until recently, but after a scathing attack where Trump targeted him as“sweaty,” “overly ambitious,” financially unsuccessful, absent from the U.S. Senate, and “a kid,” Rubio is finally hitting back. In a recent interview, Rubio suggested that Trump is targeting him because of his recent rise in the polls:
“First of all, he takes shots at everybody that gets anywhere close to him, in terms of a poll, or anytime he hits a rough spot that’s what he does,” the Florida senator said of Trump on Kentucky Sports Radio.
Rubio also went after Trump’s performance during CNN’s Republican debate, saying that his attacks are partly fueled by a lack of substance on the issues:
“He had a really bad debate performance last week,” continued Rubio. “He’s not well informed on the issues. He really never talks about issues and can’t have more than a 10-second soundbite on any key issue. And I think he’s kind of been exposed a little bit over the last seven days, and he’s a very touchy and insecure guy and so that’s how he reacts, and people can see through it.”
Rubio then discussed his vision for the 2016 campaign, saying he plans to focus on laying out policies and solutions for the 21st century.
“I just feel like in this race I’m the only one that’s talking about it this way and most certainly when in comparison to the individual you just mentioned (Trump), that’s true, but in general,” said Rubio.
“We’re building a campaign that’s designed to be successful when the votes actually count,” Rubio added. “We feel confident if we continue to do what we need to do we’re gonna get there.”
You can listen to the full interview here:
Nick Arnold is a researcher for American Principles In Action.
