After Marco Rubio dropped out of the GOP presidential race after losing the Florida primary to Donald Trump by nearly 20 points just over three months ago, I made this observation:
I have a feeling however that this isn’t the last we’ve heard from Marco Rubio. Whether Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton is elected President, it may very well be left to Rubio to clean up their mess.
Well, we have indeed not heard the last of Marco Rubio as he will seek re-election to the Senate seat he had planned to relinquish. However, in the interim, I have reassessed my own view as to whether Rubio would up to cleaning up messes that would inevitably be made by Hillary or Trump, particularly the latter.
During the primary, Rubio blasted Trump for his unwillingness to criticize David Duke and the KKK and his encouragement of violence among his supporters.
But scarcely a month ago, Rubio told CNN’s Jake Tapper that he would be “honored” to support Trump. The word honor ought not be used in the same sentence with Donald Trump. While Paul Ryan has expressed his support for Trump, at no time he has considered his blessing to be an honor.
It is true that Rubio took Trump to task for his criticisms of Judge Gonzalo Curiel earlier this month. During his announcement today, Rubio called the prospect of a Trump presidency “worrisome”. For good measure, Rubio said he won’t campaign with or on behalf of Trump.
But that’s easy for Rubio to say when Trump is down 10 points in the polls. But what if Trump is up 10 points in a month’s time? I don’t have faith that Rubio won’t change his mind — again.
If he does, Rubio might find Trump to be an albatross around his neck once again. His re-election is not a shoo-in and if he fails to be re-elected, Rubio’s political career will be over. Frankly, I wish he wasn’t running and, in time, Rubio could arrive at the same conclusion.
