‘Not going to end well’: Marco Rubio warned us about Trump’s trap in 2016, but guess who’s now stuck in it
Since he was appointed Secretary of State, Marco Rubio has positioned himself as a strong supporter of Donald Trump. But old speeches and interviews reveal that his loyalty to Trump is a relatively recent development.
During the 2016 Republican primaries, Marco Rubio and Donald Trump were direct rivals to win the party’s presidential nomination. Back then, Rubio labeled Trump a “con artist,” declaring that it’s “time to pull off his mask.” He claimed that Trump is “going to be shredded to pieces” if nominated, saying he’s “unprepared to be president.” (via Texas Tribune and CNN)
On multiple occasions, Rubio reiterated his “con artist” comment. He once told CBS News. “A con artist is about to take over the Republican party and the conservative movement, and we have to put a stop to it. (via FAF) Yet, Trump emerged as the favorite candidate after accumulating 1,441 delegate votes and winning 41 contests.
Rubio called Trump’s campaign a “trap”
Rubio, on the other hand, stood 3rd in the polls with only 173 delegate counts and 3 contests won. After losing in his home state, Florida, Rubio restarted his Senate reelection campaign. He also dismissed the idea of running for vice-president or governor. But even after Trump became the presumptive nominee, Rubio continued to criticize him. During a CNN interview in March 2016, he said,
No matter what happens in this election, for years to come, there are many people on the right, in the media, and voters at large that are going to be having to explain and justify how they fell into this trap of supporting Donald Trump. Because this is not going to end well one way or the other.
In dissuading people from voting for him, Rubio accidentally exposed the real Trump we’re seeing now. “If you listen to the way he describes himself, what he’s going to do, he’s going to single-handedly do this and do that without regard for whether it’s legal or not,” he said. And every bit of his statement has come true. But Rubio’s stance is now a far cry from his 2016 self.
He dramatically changed his views after Trump got nominated
In a dramatic U-turn, Rubio began supporting Trump as soon as he won the Republican nomination. Then, during Trump’s presidency, Rubio began trying to reconcile with him actively. He soon fell in line with Trump’s policies, going back on his own words that he can’t be trusted. In 2022, he told CNN that Trump “brought a lot of people and energy into the Republican Party.” (via Al Jazeera)
From that point, Rubio underwent a swift MAGA makeover and fully supported Trump’s presidential campaign again in Jan. 2024. In his endorsement, he wrote, “That kind of leadership is the ONLY way we will get the extraordinary actions needed to fix the disaster Biden has created.” (via Newsweek)
Rubio’s newfound enthusiasm was partially influenced by the fact that he was being considered as a possible vice-presidential running mate. However, that idea did not materialize. But a comparison of his stances proves that his transformation is a personal calculation to stay in power. And worked out in his favor, too.
Trump chose Rubio as his Secretary of State after assuming office for a second term. He is also the acting National Security Advisor and acting Archivist of the United States. But in his pursuit of relevance of power, Rubio lost his intellectual grounding and became one of Trump’s many minions.
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