Speaking with radio host Hugh Hewitt – who during the interview urged Rubio to run – the senator stressed that he has not thought about the attack “from a political perspective” and reiterated that running is “not part of our plan as a family”.
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And they wasted no time in savaging Rubio for his own record on those issues.
Those supporters will likely be heartened by his response to Hewitt Monday, during a larger interview about the shooting.
Rubio also appeared to reject the idea of gun control after the Orlando shootings.
Since Rubio dropped out of the presidential primary after losing to Donald Trump in Florida March 15 there has been speculation about his political career and whether he would reconsider and run for reelection. Well, Lopez-Cantera has sounded pretty contemptuous of all things Washington during his campaign for senate, so it wouldn’t be a radical thing for him to say that it works better for him to keep his current day job until 2018.
The Florida Republican told radio host Hugh Hewitt in an interview that the worst mass shooting in US history “most certainly has impacted my thinking in general, at least, about a lot of things”.
But GOP leaders for weeks have been trying to lure Rubio back into the race, anxious about whether anyone in the current crop of primary candidates can hold down the seat in November for the Republicans.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on MSNBC in May: “We’re doing everything we can to encourage him to run”. ” … If there’s an opportunity to serve again in a way I’m passionate about, I’ll most certainly think I would explore it”.
Could Marco Rubio get back into the race for the US Senate? The senator clearly hedged when he could just as easily have said no.
Adding to the pressure, GOP outside groups are planning to spend heavily to help Rubio, but some warn they’d sit out in the general election if he decides not to run.
Rubio has backed his friend and fellow Republican, Florida Lieutenant Governor Carlos Lopez-Cantera, in Florida’s August primary contest for his Senate seat.
Rubio only has another ten days to make up his mind.
If “this is something inspired by radical ideology, then I think common sense tells you that he targeted the gay community because of the views that exist in the radical Islamic community about the gay community”, Mr. Rubio said on CNN, referring to the gunman, whom law enforcement officials have identified as Omar Mateen.
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“I’ve said all along all signs point to him getting in the race”.
