Florida Sen. Marco Rubio has some spring in his step following his forceful debate performance against Donald Trump on Thursday, and the Republican presidential candidate today made clear that people should expect more of the same from him going forward.
Rubio brought back some of his pointed rhetoric from the latest GOP debate at his rally this afternoon at Mount Paran Christian School in Kennesaw, repeatedly calling Trump a “con-artist” and slamming the billionaire’s defunct Trump University.
He said the sharp offensive was necessary to save the Republican Party and that things have “gone too far” with Trump.
“It’s clear now that if we’re going to save the Republican Party from being taken over by a con-artist, we’re going to have to start making the case more aggressively and I’m more than happy to do it. The stakes are that high and that important,” Rubio told reporters before the rally.
For all of Rubio’s optimism, it’s still unclear whether his eleventh-hour change of pace will matter to Georgia Republicans hitting the polls Tuesday, not to mention slow or stop Trump’s momentum.
Some of Rubio supporters at the rally said they liked the Rubio’s more pointed rhetoric against Trump.
“I love it. I think it’s about time. He seemed to be kind of intimidated to go up against Trump at the beginning and I think he finally got his grasp on what he could really attack in a way that works,” said Pam Stenger, a retiree from Ackorth.
Andrew Withers, a 26-year-old political science student living in Kennesaw, said Rubio gave Trump “a dose of his own medicine.”
“There’s a difference between going to Twitter and relentlessly going after somebody for weeks and weeks and responding to him in a debate, and I think Rubio did that really well,” said Withers, an independent who is still undecided.
For his part, Rubio said he would stay in the race “as long and as hard as I need to be” to ensure Trump does not win the nomination.
Rubio brushed off questions from reporters about what would happen if he does not outright win any states other than Florida in the weeks ahead.
“We’ll find out on the 15th. We feel very optimistic about the number of delegates we’re going to win. Which is what this race is about,” he said. “This is not a traditional race.”
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