Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican from Florida and 2016 presidential candidate, speaks during a campaign rally in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016. Rubio is locked in a tight battle with Texas Senator Ted Cruz to become the Republican establishment's bulwark against front-runner Donald Trump. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) has become the latest Republican to refuse to confirm that he will accept the 2024 presidential election results.
In a tense exchange with NBC host Kristen Welker on Meet the Press, Rubio was asked if he’d accept the election results “no matter what happens.” He was quick to respond, exclaiming, “No matter what happens? No! If it’s an unfair election, I think it’s going to be contested by both sides.”
The senator tried to turn the tables and blame Democrats. “The Democrats are the ones that have opposed every Republican victory since 2000,” he said. “Every single one.”
“You have Democrats now saying they won’t certify 2024 because Trump is an insurrectionist and ineligible to hold office,” he continued. “So you need to ask them.”
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In response, Welker cited candidate Hillary Clinton’s concession to Donald Trump at the end of the 2016 election.
Rubio is considered to be on Trump’s shortlist for vice president.
Rubio’s comments come as a surprise, as the senator has a history of belief in election integrity, being one of the many senators who did not object to the election of current President Joe Biden.
During Rubio’s floor speech following the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, the senator stated, “Democracy is held together by people’s confidence in the election and a willingness to abide by its results.”
However, when questioned about his decision to vote for the certification of the 2020 results, Rubio insisted that he had “no option,” insinuating that the process was too far along for him to object.
In 2022, Rubio won reelection to his seat against Rep. Val Demings (D-Florida) by a wide margin.
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