Marco Rubio : Net Worth, Family, Wife, Education, Children, Age, Biography and Political Career

Marco Antonio Rubio is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior us senator from Florida. A Republican, he previously served as speaker of the Florida House of Representatives. Rubio unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for president of the us in 2016, winning presidential primaries in Minnesota, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

Rubio may be a Cuban American from Miami, Florida. After serving as a city commissioner for West Miami within the 1990s, he was elected to represent the 111th district within the Florida House of Representatives in 2000. Subsequently, he was elected speaker of the Florida House, and was Speaker for 2 years beginning in November 2006. Upon leaving the Florida legislature in 2008 thanks to term limits, Rubio taught at Florida International University.

Rubio was elected to the us Senate in 2010. In April 2015, he decided to run president rather than seeking reelection to the Senate. He suspended his campaign for president on March 15, 2016, after losing the Florida Republican primary to the eventual winner of the presidential election, Donald Trump. He then decided to run reelection to the Senate, winning a second term later that year. While Rubio was harshly critical of Trump within the 2016 election, he was pro-Trump during Trumps presidency. thanks to his influence on U.S. policy on Latin America during the Trump administration, he was described as a "virtual secretary of state for Latin America".

Marco Antonio Rubio was born in Miami, Florida, the second son and third child of Mario Rubio Reina and Oriales Rubio. His parents were Cubans who immigrated to the us in 1956 during the regime of Fulgencio Batista, two and a half years before Castro ascended to power after the Cuban Revolution . His mother made a minimum of four return trips to Cuba after Castros takeover, including a month-long trip in 1961. Neither of Rubios parents was a U.S. citizen at the time of Rubios birth, but his parents applied for U.S. citizenship and were naturalized in 1975. Some relatives of Rubios were admitted to the U.S. as refugees.

Rubios maternal grandfather, Pedro Victor Garcia, immigrated to the U.S. legally in 1956, but returned to Cuba to seek out add 1959. When he fled communist Cuba and returned to the U.S. in 1962 without a visa, he was detained as an undocumented immigrant and an immigration judge ordered him to be deported. Immigration officials reversed their decision later that day, the deportation order wasnt enforced, and Garcia was given a status of "parolee" that allowed him to remain within the U.S. Garcia re-applied for permanent resident status in 1966 following passage of the Cuban Adjustment Act, at which point his residency was approved. Rubio enjoyed an in depth relationship together with his grandfather during his childhood.

In October 2011, The Washington Post reported that Rubios previous statements that his parents were forced to go away Cuba in 1959 (after Castro came to power) were embellishments. His parents actually left Cuba in 1956, during the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista.[4] consistent with the Post, " Florida, being connected to the post-revolution exile community gives an official cachet that would never be achieved by someone identified with the pre-Castro exodus, a gaggle sometimes viewed with suspicion." Rubio denied that he had embellished his case history , stating that his public statements about his family were supported "family lore". Rubio asserted that his parents intended to return to Cuba within the 1960s. He added that his mother took his two elder siblings back to Cuba in 1961 with the intention of living there permanently (his father remained behind in Miami "wrapping up the familys matters"), but the nations move toward communism caused the family to vary its plans. Rubio stated that " essence of my family story is why they came to America within the first place; and why that they had to remain."

Rubio has three siblings: older brother Mario, older sister Barbara (married to Orlando Cicilia), and younger sister Veronica (formerly married to entertainer Carlos Ponce). Growing up, his family was Catholic, though from age 8 to age 11 he and his family attended The Church of Jesus of Latter-day Saints while living in Las Vegas . During those years in Nevada, his father worked as a bartender at Sams Town Hotel and his mother as a housekeeper at the Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino. He received his first communion as a Catholic in 1984 before moving back to Miami together with his family a year later. He was confirmed and later married within the Catholic Church.

Rubio attended South Miami senior high school School, graduating in 1989. He attended Tarkio College in Missouri for one year on a football scholarship before enrolling at Santa Fe junior college (now Santa Fe College) in Gainesville, Florida. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in politics from the University of Florida in 1993 and his J.D. degree worthy from the University of Miami School of Law in 1996. Rubio has said that he incurred $100,000 in student loans. He paid off those loans in 2012.

While studying law, Rubio interned for U.S. Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. He also worked on Republican senator Bob Doles 1996 presidential campaign. In April 1998, two years after finishing school of law , Rubio was elected to a seat as city commissioner for West Miami. He became a member of the Florida House of Representatives in early 2000.

Rubio may be a Roman Catholic and attends Catholic Mass at Church of the small Flower in Coral Gables, Florida. He also previously attended Christ Fellowship, a Southern Baptist Church in West Kendall, Florida.

Marco Rubio Net Worth

Marco Rubio Net Worth is $ 400 Thousand in 2021.

Marco Rubio Family

Marco Antonio Rubio was born in Miami, Florida, the second son and third child of Mario Rubio Reina and Oriales Rubio. His parents were Cubans who immigrated to the us in 1956 during the regime of Fulgencio Batista, two and a half years before Castro ascended to power after the Cuban Revolution . His mother made a minimum of four return trips to Cuba after Castros takeover, including a month-long trip in 1961. Neither of Rubios parents was a U.S. citizen at the time of Rubios birth, but his parents applied for U.S. citizenship and were naturalized in 1975. Some relatives of Rubios were admitted to the U.S. as refugees.

In 1998, Rubio married Jeanette Dousdebes, a former bank teller and Miami Dolphins cheerleader, during a Catholic ceremony at the Church of the small Flower. they need four children. Rubio and his family sleep in West Miami, Florida.

Marco Rubio Wife and Children

In 1998, Rubio married Jeanette Dousdebes, a former bank teller and Miami Dolphins cheerleader, during a Catholic ceremony at the Church of the small Flower. they need four children. Rubio and his family sleep in West Miami, Florida.

Marco Rubio Career and Achievement

Florida House of Representatives

Elections and Concurrent Employment

In late 1999, a special election was called to fill the seat for the 111th House District within the Florida House of Representatives, representing Miami. it had been considered a secure Republican seat, so Rubios main challenge was to win the GOP nomination. He campaigned as a moderate, advocating tax cuts and infancy education.

Rubio placed second within the Republican primary on December 14, 1999, but won the run-off election for the Republican nomination, defeating Angel Zayon (a television and radio reporter who was fashionable Cuban exiles) by just 64 votes. He then defeated Democrat Anastasia Garcia with 72% of the choose a January 25, 2000, special election.

In November 2000, Rubio won re-election unopposed. In 2002, he won re-election to a second term unopposed. In 2004, he won re-election to a 3rd term with 66% of the vote. In 2006, he won re-election to a fourth term unopposed.

Rubio spent almost nine years within the Florida House of Representatives. Since the Florida legislative session officially lasted only sixty days, he spent about half annually in Miami, where he practiced law, first at a firm that specialized in land use and zoning until 2014 when he took an edge with Broad and Cassel, a Miami law and lobbying firm (though state law precluded him from engaging in lobbying or introducing legislation on behalf of the firms clients).

Tenure

When Rubio took his seat within the legislature in Tallahassee in January 2000, voters in Florida had recently approved a constitutional amendment on term limits. This created openings for brand spanking new legislative leaders thanks to many senior incumbents having to retire. consistent with a piece of writing in National Journal, Rubio also gained an additional advantage therein regard, because he was sworn in early thanks to the special election, and he would cash in of those opportunities to hitch the GOP leadership.

Majority whip and legislator

Later in 2000, the bulk leader of the House, Mike Fasano, promoted Rubio to be one among two majority whips. National Journal described that position as typically requiring tons of arm-twisting, but said Rubio took a special approach that relied more on persuading legislators and fewer on coercing them.

Fasano resigned in September 2001 as legislator of the House thanks to disagreements with the House speaker, and therefore the speaker omitted Rubio to appoint a experienced replacement for Fasano. Rubio volunteered to figure on redistricting, which he accomplished by dividing the state into five regions, then working individually with the lawmakers involved, and this work helped to cement his relationships with GOP leaders.

In December 2002, Rubio was appointed House legislator by Speaker Johnnie Byrd. He persuaded Speaker Byrd to restructure the work of legislator, in order that legislative wrangling would be left to the whips office, and Rubio would become the most spokesperson for the House GOP.

According to National Journal, during this era Rubio didnt entirely adhere to doctrinaire conservative principles, and a few colleagues described him as a centrist "who sought out Democrats and groups that don’t typically align with the GOP". He co-sponsored legislation that might have let farmworkers sue growers in state court if they were shortchanged on pay, and co-sponsored a bill for giving in-state tuition rates to the youngsters of undocumented immigrants. within the wake of the 9/11 attacks, he voiced suspicion about expanding police detention powers and helped defeat a GOP bill that might have required colleges to extend reporting to the state about foreign students.

As a state representative, Rubio requested legislative earmarks (called "Community Budget Issue Requests" in Florida), totaling about $145 million for 2001 and 2002, but none thereafter. Additionally, an office within the Executive Office of the President compiled a extended list of paying requests by legislators, including Rubio, as did the non-profit group Florida TaxWatch. Many of these listed items were for health and social programs that Rubio has described as "the quite thing that legislators would get attacked on if we didnt fund them". A 2010 report by the Tampa Bay Times and Miami Herald said that a number of Rubios spending requests dovetailed together with his personal interests. for instance , Rubio requested a $20 million appropriation for Jackson Memorial Hospital to subsidize look after the poor and uninsured, and Rubio later did work for that hospital as a consultant. A spokesman for Rubio has said that the things in question helped the entire county, that Rubio didnt lobby to urge them approved, that the hospital money was necessary and non-controversial, which Rubio is "a limited-government conservative ... not a no-government conservative".

House Speaker

On September 13, 2005, at age 34, Rubio became speaker after State Representatives Dennis Baxley, Jeff Kottkamp, and Dennis A. Ross dropped out. He was sworn during a year later, in November 2006. He became the primary Cuban American to be speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, and would remain speaker until November 2008.

When he was chosen as future speaker in 2005, Rubio delivered a speech to the House during which he asked members to seem in their desks, where they each found a hardcover book titled 100 Innovative Ideas For Floridas Future; but the book was blank because it had not yet been written, and Rubio told his colleagues that they might fill within the pages along side the assistance of ordinary Floridians. In 2006, after traveling round the state and talking with citizens, and compiling their ideas, Rubio published the book. The National Journal called this book "the centerpiece of Rubios early speakership". About 24 of the "ideas" became law, while another 10 were partially enacted. Among the things from his 2006 book that became law were multiple-year car registrations, a requirement that prime schools provide more vocational courses, and an expanded voucher-like school-choice program. Rubios defenders, and a few critics, means that nationwide economic difficulties overlapped with much of Rubios speakership, then funding new legislative proposals became difficult.

As Rubio took office as Speaker, Jeb Bush was completing his term as governor, and Bush left office in January 2007. Rubio hired 18 Bush aides, leading capitol insiders to mention the speakers suite was "the governors office in exile". a piece of writing in National Journal described Rubios style as being very different from Bushs; where Bush was a really assertive manager of affairs in Tallahassee, Rubios style was to delegate certain powers, relinquish others, and invite political rivals into his clique . because the incoming speaker, he decided to open a personal dining room for legislators, which he said would give members more privacy, free from being pursued by lobbyists, though the expense led to a PR problem.

In 2006, Florida enacted into law limitations upon the authority of the government to require personal property , in response to the 2005 Supreme Court decision in Kelo v. City of latest London which took a broad view of governmental power to require personal property under legal right . This state legislation had been proposed by a special committee chaired by Rubio before his speakership.

Jeb Bush was succeeded by Charlie Crist, a moderate Republican who took office in January 2007. Rubio and Crist clashed frequently. Their sharpest clash involved the governors initiative to expand casino gambling in Florida. Rubio sued Crist for bypassing the Florida Legislature so as to form a affect the Seminole Tribe. The Florida Supreme Court sided with Rubio and blocked the deal.

Rubio also was a critic of Crists strategy to fight global climate change through an executive order creating new automobile and utility emissions standards. Rubio accused Crist of imposing "European-style big government mandates", and therefore the legislature under Rubios leadership weakened the impact of Crists global climate change initiative. Rubio said that Crists approach would harm consumers by driving up utility bills without having much effect upon the environment, which a far better approach would be to market biofuel (e.g. ethanol), solar panels, and energy efficiency.

Rubio introduced an idea to scale back state property taxes to 2001 levels (and potentially eliminate them altogether), while increasing sales taxes by 1% to 2.5% to fund schools. The proposal would have reduced property taxes within the state by $40–50 billion. His proposal passed the House, but was opposed by Governor Crist and Florida Senate Republicans, who said that the rise in nuisance tax would disproportionately affect the poor. So, Rubio agreed to smaller changes, and Crists proposal to double the states land tax exemption from $25,000 to $50,000 (for a tax reduction estimated by Crist to be $33 billion) ultimately passed. Legislators called it the most important tax cut in Floridas history up until then. At the time, Republican anti-tax activist Grover Norquist described Rubio as "the most pro-taxpayer legislative leader within the country".

As Speaker, Rubio "aggressively tried to push Florida to the political right", consistent with NBC News, and regularly clashed with the Florida Senate, which was travel by more moderate Republicans, and with then-Governor Charlie Crist, a centrist Republican at the time. Although a conservative, "behind the scenes many Democrats considered Rubio someone with whom they might work," consistent with biographer Manuel Roig-Franzia. Dan Gelber of Miami, the House Democratic leader at the time of Rubios speakership, considered him "a true conservative" but not "a reflexive partisan", saying: "He did not have an objection to working with the opposite side just because they were the opposite side. to place it bluntly, he wasnt a jerk." Gelber considered Rubio "a severe conservative, really far to the proper , but probably the foremost talented spokesman the severe right could ever hope for."

While speaker of the Florida House, Rubio shared a residence in Tallahassee with another Florida State Representative, David Rivera, which the 2 co-owned. The house later went into foreclosure in 2010 after several missed mortgage payments. At that time , Rubio assumed responsibility for the payments, and therefore the house was eventually sold.

In 2007, Florida senator Tony Hill (D-Jacksonville), chairman of the state legislatures Black Caucus, requested that the legislature apologize for slavery, and Rubio said the thought merited discussion. the subsequent year, a supportive Rubio said such apologies are often important albeit symbolic; he acknowledged that even in 2008 young African-American males "believe that the American Dream isnt available to them". He helped found out a council on issues facing black men and boys, persuaded colleagues to duplicate the Harlem Childrens Zone within the Miami neighborhood of Liberty City, and supported efforts to market literacy and mentoring for black children et al. .

In 2010 during Rubios senate race , and again in 2015 during his presidential campaign, issues were raised by the media and his political opponents about some items charged by Rubio to his Republican Party of Florida American Express card during his time as House speaker. Rubio charged about $110,000 during those two years, of which $16,000 was personal expenses unrelated to party business, like groceries and plane tickets. Rubio said that he personally paid American Express quite $16,000 for these personal expenses. In 2012, the Florida Commission on Ethics cleared Rubio of wrongdoing in his use of the party-issued mastercard , although the commission inspector said that Rubio exhibited a "level of negligence" in not using his personal MasterCard. In November 2015, Rubio released his party mastercard statements for January 2005 through October 2006, which showed eight personal charges totaling $7,243.74, all of which he had personally reimbursed, in most instances by subsequent billing period. When releasing the charge records, Rubio spokesman Todd Harris said, "These statements are quite 10 years old. and therefore the only people that ask about them today are the liberal media and our political opponents. We are releasing them now because Marco has nothing to cover ."

Professorship

After leaving the Florida Legislature in 2008, Rubio began teaching under a fellowship appointment at Florida International University (FIU) as an adjunct professor. In 2011, after entering the U.S. Senate, he rejoined the FIU faculty. Rubio teaches within the Department of Politics and diplomacy , which is a component of FIUs Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs. He has taught undergraduate courses on Florida politics, political parties, and legislative politics.

Rubios appointment as an FIU professor was initially criticized. The university obtained considerable state funding when Rubio was speaker of the Florida House, and lots of other university jobs were being eliminated thanks to funding issues at the time FIU appointed him to the school . When Rubio accepted the fellowship appointment as an adjunct professor at FIU, he agreed to boost most of the funding for his position from private sources.

U.S. Senate

Elections

2010

On May 5, 2009, Rubio stated his intent to run the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Mel Martínez, who had decided to not seek re-election and subsequently resigned before completing his term. before launching his campaign, Rubio had met with fundraisers and supporters throughout the state. Initially trailing by double digits within the primary against the incumbent governor of his own party, Charlie Crist, Rubio eventually surpassed Crist in polling for the Republican nomination. In his campaign, Rubio received the support of members of the party, many of whom were dissatisfied with Crists policies as governor. On April 28, 2010, Crist stated he would be running without a celebration affiliation, effectively ceding the Republican nomination to Rubio. Several of Crists top fundraisers, also as Republican leadership, refused to support Crist after Rubio won the Republican nomination for the Senate.

On All Souls Day , 2010, Rubio won the overall election with 49 percent of the vote to Crists 30% and Democrat Kendrick Meeks 20%. When Rubio was sworn in to the U.S. Senate, he and Bob Menendez of latest Jersey were the sole two Latino Americans within the Senate.

2016

In April 2015, Rubio decided to run president rather than seeking re-election to the Senate. After suspending his presidential campaign on March 15, 2016, Rubio "seemed to open the door to running for re-election" on June 13, 2016, citing the previous days Orlando nightclub shooting and the way "it really gives you pause, to think a touch bit about your service to your country and where youll be most useful to your country." Rubio officially started his campaign nine days later, on June 22. Rubio won the Republican primary on August 30, 2016, defeating Carlos Beruff. He faced Democratic nominee Patrick Murphy within the election , defeating him with almost 52% of the vote.

Tenure as Senator

During Rubios first four years within the U.S. Senate, Republicans were within the minority. After the 2014 midterm elections, the Republicans obtained majority control of the Senate, giving Rubio and therefore the Republicans vast federal influence during the ultimate two years of Barack Obamas presidency, also as during all four years of Donald Trumps presidency. After the 2020 elections, the Democrats regained majority control of the Senate, and Rubio has reassumed minority status within the Senate.

2011–2015

Shortly after taking office in 2011, Rubio said he had no interest in running for president or vice chairman within the 2012 presidential election. In March 2012, when he endorsed Mitt Romney for president, Rubio said that he didnt expect to be or want to be selected as a vice presidential campaigner , but was vetted for vice chairman by the Romney campaign. Former Romney aide Beth Myers has said that the vetting process turned up nothing disqualifying about Rubio.

Upon taking office, Rubio hired Cesar Conda as his chief of staff. Conda, a former adviser to vice chairman Dick Cheney, and former top aide to Sens. Spencer Abraham (R-Mich.) and Robert Kasten (R-Wis.), was succeeded in 2014 as Rubios chief of staff by his deputy, Alberto Martinez, but Conda remained as a part-time adviser.

During his first year in office, Rubio became an influential defender of the us embargo against Cuba and induced the State Department to withdraw an ambassadorial nomination of Jonathan D. Farrar, who was the Chief of Mission of the us Interests Section in Havana from 2008 to 2011. Rubio believed that Farrar wasnt assertive enough toward the Castro regime. Also in 2011, Rubio was invited to go to the Reagan Library, during which he gave a well-publicized speech praising its namesake, and also rescued Nancy Reagan from falling.

In March 2011, Rubio supported U.S. participation within the campaign in Libya to oust Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. He urged that Senate leaders bring "a bi-partisan resolution to the Senate floor authorizing the presidents decision to participate in allied action in Libya". The administration decided that no congressional authorization was needed under the War Powers Resolution; Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT) joined Rubio in writing an opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal in June 2011 again urging passage of such authorization. In October 2011, Rubio joined several other senators in pushing for continued engagement to "help Libya lay the inspiration for sustainable security". Soon after Gadhafi was ousted, Rubio warned there was a significant threat posed by the spread of militias and weapons, and involved more U.S. involvement to counter that threat.

Rubio voted against the Budget Control Act of 2011, including mandatory automatic budget cuts from sequestration. He later said that defense spending should never are linked to taxes and therefore the deficit, calling the policy a "terrible idea" supported a "false choice".

The following month, Rubio and Senator Chris Coons, Democrat of Delaware, co-sponsored the American Growth, Recovery, Empowerment and Entrepreneurship Act (AGREE Act), which might have extended many tax credits and exemptions for businesses investing in research and development, equipment, and other capital; provided a decrease for veterans who start a business franchise; allowed a rise in immigration surely sorts of work visas; and strengthened copyright protections.

Rubio voted against the 2012 "fiscal cliff" resolutions. Although he received some criticism for this position, he responded: "Thousands of small businesses, not just the rich , will now be forced to make a decision how theyll pay this new tax, and, likelihood is that , theyll roll in the hay by firing employees, curtailing their hours and benefits, or postponing the new hires they were looking to form . And to form matters worse, it does nothing to bring our dangerous debt in check ."

In 2013, Rubio was a part of the bipartisan "Gang of Eight" senators that crafted comprehensive immigration reform legislation. Rubio proposed an idea providing a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants currently living within the us involving payment of fines and back taxes, background checks, and a probationary period; that pathway was to be implemented only after strengthening border security. The bill passed the Senate 68 to 32 together with his support, but Rubio then signaled that the bill shouldnt be haunted by the House because other priorities, like repealing Obamacare, were a better priority for him; the House never did take up the bill. Rubio has since explained that he still supports reform, but a special approach rather than one comprehensive bill.

Rubio was chosen to deliver the Republican response to President Obamas 2013 State of the Union Address. It marked the primary time the response was delivered in English and Spanish. Rubios plan to draw a robust line against the looming defense sequestration was undercut by fellow Republican senator Rand Pauls additional response to Obamas speech that involved the sequester to be administered.

In April 2013, Rubio voted against an expansion of background checks for gun purchases, contending that such increased regulatory measures would do little to assist capture criminals. Rubio voted against publishing the Senate Intelligence Committee report on CIA torture. In 2016, Rubio said the U.S. should "find out everything they know" from captured terrorists and will not telegraph "the enemy what interrogation techniques well or wont use."

2015–2021

Republicans took control of the U.S. Senate as a results of the elections in November 2014. As this new period of Republican control began, Rubio pushed for the elimination of the "risk corridors" employed by the federal to compensate insurers for his or her losses as a part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). the danger corridors were intended to be funded by profitable insurers participating within the PPACA, but since insurer losses have significantly exceeded their profits within the program, the danger corridors are depleted. His efforts contributed to the inclusion of a provision within the 2014 federal budget that prevented other funding sources from being tapped to replenish the danger corridors.

In March 2015, Rubio and Senator Mike Lee, Republican of Utah, proposed a tax plan that consistent with The Wall Street Journal, combined thinking from "old-fashioned, Reagan-era supply-siders" and a "breed of largely younger conservative reform thinkers" concerned with the tax burden on the center class. The plan would lower the highest corporate tax rate from 38% to 25%, eliminate taxes on capital gains, dividends, and inherited estates, and make a replacement child decrease worth up to $2,500 per child. The plan would set the highest individual tax rate at 35%. It also included a proposal to exchange the means-tested welfare system, including food stamps and therefore the Earned tax Credit, with a replacement "consolidated system of benefits".

According to analysis by Vocativ as reported by Fox News, Rubio missed 8.3% of total votes from January 2011 to February 2015. From October 27, 2014, to October 26, 2015, Rubio voted in 74% of Senate votes, consistent with an analysis by GovTrack.us, which tracks congressional voting records. In 2015, Rubio was absent for about 35% of Senate votes. In historical context Rubios attendance record for Senate votes isnt exceptional among senators seeking a presidential nomination; John McCain missed a way higher percentage of votes in 2007. But it had been the worst of the three senators who campaigned for the presidency in 2015.

During his Senate tenure, Rubio has co-sponsored bills on issues starting from humanitarian crises in Haiti to the Russian incursion into Ukraine and was a frequent and prominent critic of Obamas efforts in national security.

On May 17, 2016, Rubio broke from the Republican majority in his support of Obamas request for $2 billion in emergency spending on the Zika virus at a time when Florida accounted for roughly 20% of the recorded cases of Zika within the U.S., acknowledging that it had been the presidents request but adding, "its really the scientists request, the doctors request, the general public health sectors request for a way to deal with this issue." On Transfiguration , Rubio said he didnt believe terminating Zika-infected pregnancies.

On December 13, after President-elect Trump nominated Rex Tillerson as his Secretary of State within the incoming administration, Rubio expressed concern about the choice . On January 11, Rubio questioned Tillerson during a Senate committee hearing on his confirmation, saying afterward he would "do whats right". On January 23, Rubio said that he would vote to verify Tillerson, saying that a delay within the appointment would be counter to national interests.

On April 5, 2017, Rubio said Bashar al-Assad felt he could act with "impunity" in knowing the us wasnt prioritizing removing him from office. subsequent day, Rubio praised Trumps ordered strike: "By acting decisively against the very facility from which Assad launched his murderous chemical weapons attack, President Trump has made it clear to Assad and people who empower him that the times of committing war crimes with impunity are over."

In September 2017, Rubio defended Trumps decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. He called the program, which provided temporary stay for a few undocumented immigrants brought into the U.S. as minors, "unconstitutional".

In the first session of the 115th us Congress, Rubio was ranked the tenth most bipartisan senator by the Bipartisan Index, published by The Lugar Center and Georgetowns McCourt School of Public Policy.

While ballots were being counted during a close Florida senate campaign between Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson and Republican challenger Rick Scott, Rubio claimed without evidence that Democrats were conspiring with election officials to illicitly install Nelson. He claimed without evidence that "Democrat lawyers" were descending on Florida which "they are very clear they are not here to form sure every vote is counted." He claimed that Broward County officials were engaged in "ongoing" legal violations, without specifying what those were. Election monitors found no evidence of voter fraud in Broward County, and therefore the Florida State Department found no evidence of criminal activity.

In 2019, Rubio defended Trumps decision to host the G7 conference at the Trump National Doral Miami, a resort Trump owns. Rubio called the choice "great" and said it might be good for local businesses.

In 2020, Rubio supported the nomination of Judy Shelton to the Federal Reserve System Board of Governors. Shelton had received bipartisan criticism over her support for the gold standard and other unorthodox monetary policy views.

After Biden defeated Trump within the 2020 presidential election and Trump made false claims of fraud , Rubio defended Trumps right to say said claims and challenge the election results, saying any "irregularities" and "claims of broken election laws" couldnt be claimed false until the courts ruled on them. Rubio later shifted his rhetoric to saying that concerns from Republican voters over "potential irregularities" within the election demanded redress. By November 23, 2020, Rubio mentioned Biden as president-elect.

Rubio described the 2021 storming of the us Capitol by a pro-Trump mob as unpatriotic and "3rd world-style anti-American anarchy". Of the rioters, Rubio said a number of them were adherents "to a conspiracy theory et al. got trapped within the moment. The result was a national embarrassment." After Congress was allowed to return to session, Rubio voted to certify the 2021 us body vote count. In February 2021, Rubio voted to acquit Trump for his role in inciting the mob to storm the Capitol.

On May 28, 2021, Rubio voted against creating an independent commission to research the Epiphany insurrection.

2016 Presidential Campaign

Rubio speaks at the 2015 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland.

Rubio said in April 2014 that he wouldnt run both the Senate and president in 2016, as Florida law prohibits a candidate from appearing twice on a ballot, but at that point he didnt rule out running for either office. He later indicated that albeit he wouldnt win the Republican nomination for president, he wouldnt run reelection to the Senate. Also in April 2014, the departure of Cesar Conda, Rubios chief of staff since 2011, was seen as a symbol of Rubios plans to run president in 2016. Conda departed to steer Rubios Reclaim America PAC as a senior adviser. Groups supporting Rubio raised over $530,000 within the first three months of 2014, most of which was spent on consultants and data analytics, in what was seen as preparations for a presidential campaign.

A poll from the WMUR/University, tracking New Hampshire Republican primary voters sentiment, showed Rubio at the highest alongside Kentucky senator Rand Paul later in 2013, but as of April 18, 2014, he had dropped to 10th place behind other Republican contenders. The poll, however, also suggested that Rubio wasnt disliked by the first voters, which was thought to be positive for him if other candidates had chosen to not run. Rubio placed second among potential 2016 Republican presidential candidates in a web poll of likely voters conducted by Zogby Analytics in January 2015.

In January 2015, it had been reported that Rubio had begun contacting top donors and appointing advisors for a possible 2016 run, including George Seay, who previously worked on such campaigns as Rick Perrys in 2012 and Mitt Romneys in 2008, and Jim Rubright, who had previously worked for Jeb Bush, Mitt Romney, and John McCain. Rubio also instructed his aides to "prepare for a presidential campaign" before a Team Marco 2016 fundraising meeting in South Beach.

On April 13, 2015, Rubio launched his campaign for president in 2016. Rubio was believed to be a viable candidate for the 2016 presidential race who could attract many parts of the GOP base, partly due to his youthfulness and oratorical skill. Rubio had pitched his candidacy as an attempt to revive the American Dream for middle and working-class families, who may need found his background as a working-class Cuban-American appealing.

Republican Primaries

In the first Republican primary, the February 1 Iowa caucuses, Rubio finished third, behind candidates Ted Cruz and Donald Trump. During a nationally televised debate among Republican candidates in New Hampshire on February 6, 2016, Rubio was criticized by rival Chris Christie for speaking repetitiously and sounding scripted. On February 9, when he placed fifth within the New Hampshire primary results, Rubio took the blame and acknowledged a poor debate performance. within the third Republican contest, the South Carolina primary on February 20, Rubio finished second, but didnt gain any delegates as Trump won all of South Carolinas congressional districts and thus delegates. Jeb Bush left the race that day, resulting in a surge in campaign donations and endorsements to Rubio. On February 23, Rubio finished second within the Nevada caucuses, again losing to Trump. Trump called Rubios remarks at the February 25 debate "robotic" thanks to Rubios repeated use of an equivalent talking points; Rubio was later followed by hecklers who were dressed as robots.

At another Republican debate on February 25, Rubio repeatedly criticized frontrunner candidate Donald Trump. it had been described by CNN as a "turning point in style" as Rubio had previously largely ignored Trump during his campaign, and this deviated from Rubios signature "optimistic campaign message". subsequent day Rubio continued turning Trumps attacks against him, even ridiculing Trumps physical appearance. On March 1, called Super Tuesday with eleven Republican contests thereon day, Rubios sole victory was in Minnesota, the primary state he had won since voting began a month prior. Rubio went on to win further contests in Puerto Rico on March 6 and therefore the District of Columbia on March 12, but lost eight other contests from March 5 to eight . Around that point , Rubio revealed he wasnt "entirely proud" of his personal attacks on Trump.

On March 15, Rubio suspended his campaign after placing second in his house state of Florida. Hours earlier, Rubio had expressed expectations for a Florida win, and said he would still campaign (in Utah) "irrespective of" that nights results. The result was that Rubio won 27.0% of the Florida vote, while Trump won 45.7% and every one of Floridas delegates. The conclusion of the six March 15 contests (out of which Rubio won none) left Rubio with 169 delegates on the race to succeed in 1237, but Ted Cruz already had 411 and Trump 673. On St Patricks Day , Rubio ruled out runs for the vice-presidency, governorship of Florida and even re-election for his senate seat. He stated only that he would be a "private citizen" by January 2017, resulting in some media speculation of the termination of his political career.

After Candidacy

On April 12, during an interview with Mark Levin, Rubio expressed his wishes that Republicans would nominate a conservative candidate, name-dropping Cruz. This was interpreted as an endorsement of Cruz, though Rubio clarified the subsequent day that he had only been answering an issue . Rubio would later explain his decision to not endorse Cruz being thanks to his belief that the endorsement wouldnt significantly benefit him and a desire to let the election cycle play out. On April 22, Rubio said he wasnt curious about being the vice presidential candidate to any of the remaining GOP contenders. On May 16, Rubio posted several tweets during which he critiqued sources reporting that he despised the Senate and a Washington Post story that claimed he was unsure of his next move after his unsuccessful presidential bid, typing, "I have only said like 10000 times i will be able to be a personal citizen in January."

On May 18, after Trump expressed a willingness to satisfy with Kim Jong-un, Rubio said Kim was "not a stable person" and furthered that Trump was hospitable the meeting only thanks to inexperience with the North Korea leader. On May 26, Rubio told reporters that he was backing Trump thanks to his view that the presumptive nominee was a far better choice than Hillary Clinton for the presidency which as president, Trump would sign a repeal of the Affordable Care Act and replace the late Antonin Scalia with another conservative Supreme Court Justice. He also confirmed that he would be attending the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, where he intended to release his pledged delegates to support Trump. On May 29, Rubio continued disavowing vice presidential speculation but indicated an interest in playing a task in Trumps campaign. On June 6, Rubio rebuked Trumps comments on Gonzalo P. Curiel, who Trump accused of being biased against him on the idea of his ethnicity, as "offensive" while speaking with reporters, advising that Trump should cease defending the remarks and defending the judge as "an American".

On July 6, Olivia Perez-Cubas, Rubios senate race spokeswoman, said he wouldnt be attending the Republican National Convention thanks to planned campaigning on the times the convention was scheduled to require place.

During the Republican primary campaign during which Rubio and Donald Trump were opponents, Rubio criticized Trump, including, in February 2016, calling Trump a "con artist" and saying that Trump is "wholly unprepared to be president of the United States". In June 2016, after Trump became the presumptive GOP nominee, Rubio reaffirmed his February 2016 comments that we must not hand "the nuclear codes of the us to an erratic individual". However, after Trump won the Republican Partys nomination, Rubio endorsed him on July 20, 2016. Following the October 7, 2016, Donald Trump Access Hollywood controversy, Rubio wrote that "Donalds comments were vulgar, egregious & impossible to justify. nobody should ever mention any woman in those terms, even privately ." On October 11, 2016, Rubio reaffirmed his support of Trump. On October 25, 2016, it had been reported that Rubio was booed off a stage for endorsing Trump by a crowd of mostly Latino voters, at the annual Calle Orange street festival in downtown Orlando.