Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) downplayed concerns that former President Trump would seek revenge against his political opponents if re-elected, despite his repeated promises to attack President Biden and others.
“Donald Trump has made it clear that his revenge is to win and make America great again, not go after his political opponents,” Rubio, who is believed to be a finalist to be Trump’s running mate, said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” interview Sunday with Dana Bash.
Trump has repeatedly said he wants revenge against political opponents, saying rivals like Biden should be investigated by the Justice Department.
“Revenge can sometimes be justified,” the former president said last month after calling for members of the House Jan. 6 committee to be indicted.
Rubio argued that Trump’s lawsuit was politically motivated and that it was actually Democrats who were using the Justice Department against their opponents.
“We’ve clearly reached a time in American politics where some believe the courts can now be used as a weapon against political opponents,” he said.
“Look at the efforts they’ve made in the courts to persecute and prosecute Donald Trump,” he continued. “They’ve tried to bankrupt Trump. They’ve tried to silence Trump. They’ve tried to jail Trump. They’ve attacked Trump’s associates every day. Some of these accusations are absurd.”
The senator also falsely stated that the Justice Department was not pursuing cases against Democrats, a claim Bash corrected. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-Mich.) and Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) have both been indicted on bribery charges.
Trump’s revenge comments have also raised concerns among Republican senators, with Sen. Mike Rounds (R-Lausanne) denouncing them in an interview with The Hill last month.
“This is not the direction we want our country to go,” he said. “I think it’s time for adults to take over when it comes to the Senate, and I think it’s time for adults to take over when it comes to the Congress. [to] How do we deal with the judicial environment in this country?
“I don’t want to see prosecutors retaliating against each other. I think that’s the wrong direction. I don’t think that’s the path we should be going,” Rounds said. “I think we have to get back to what our founding fathers originally wanted, which is a justice system that’s not just filled with far-left and far-right political appointees.”
Rubio is considered one of the finalists to be Trump’s running mate, but said Sunday he wasn’t sure if he would be the running mate.
