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| Marco Rubio ends presidential bid after Donald Trump takes Florida | Marco Rubio ends presidential bid after Donald Trump takes Florida |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Marco Rubio, the Florida senator hailed in the aftermath of the 2012 election as the Republican party’s likely “savior”, suspended his bid to become the first Latino president of the United States on Tuesday. | Marco Rubio, the Florida senator hailed in the aftermath of the 2012 election as the Republican party’s likely “savior”, suspended his bid to become the first Latino president of the United States on Tuesday. |
| Speaking in his hometown of Miami, Rubio congratulated Donald Trump on his victory in the Florida primary while nodding to the grassroots uprising that had propelled the brash billionaire to frontrunner status. | Speaking in his hometown of Miami, Rubio congratulated Donald Trump on his victory in the Florida primary while nodding to the grassroots uprising that had propelled the brash billionaire to frontrunner status. |
| “People are angry and people are very frustrated,” Rubio said, before criticizing the political establishment as being out of touch with the American public. | “People are angry and people are very frustrated,” Rubio said, before criticizing the political establishment as being out of touch with the American public. |
| “There are millions of people in this country that are tired of being looked down upon ... tired of being told by these self-proclaimed elitists that they don’t know what they’re talking about and need to instead listen to the so-called smart people,” he added. | “There are millions of people in this country that are tired of being looked down upon ... tired of being told by these self-proclaimed elitists that they don’t know what they’re talking about and need to instead listen to the so-called smart people,” he added. |
| At the same time, Rubio delivered an indictment of Trump’s tactics and rhetoric without mentioning his opponent by name. | At the same time, Rubio delivered an indictment of Trump’s tactics and rhetoric without mentioning his opponent by name. |
| “This nation needs a vibrant and growing conservative movement,” he said, “but one that’s built on principles and on ideas, not on fear, not on anger, not on preying on people’s frustrations.” | “This nation needs a vibrant and growing conservative movement,” he said, “but one that’s built on principles and on ideas, not on fear, not on anger, not on preying on people’s frustrations.” |
| “The politics of resentment against other people will not just leave us a fractured party. They will leave us a fractured nation,” Rubio added. | “The politics of resentment against other people will not just leave us a fractured party. They will leave us a fractured nation,” Rubio added. |
| Although not unexpected, Rubio’s inability to carry his home state served as the final nail in the coffin of a campaign caught perennially on the cusp of breaking through, but falling under the weight of its own expectations. Rubio had, in recent weeks, suffered bruising losses in key primary contests that placed the senator well behind rivals Trump and Texas senator Ted Cruz. | Although not unexpected, Rubio’s inability to carry his home state served as the final nail in the coffin of a campaign caught perennially on the cusp of breaking through, but falling under the weight of its own expectations. Rubio had, in recent weeks, suffered bruising losses in key primary contests that placed the senator well behind rivals Trump and Texas senator Ted Cruz. |
| Florida marked the last stand not simply for the 44-year-old senator, but also for a party seeking a consensus alternative to Trump. It was a mantle Rubio himself embraced in the final weeks of his campaign, although in part to his detriment. | Florida marked the last stand not simply for the 44-year-old senator, but also for a party seeking a consensus alternative to Trump. It was a mantle Rubio himself embraced in the final weeks of his campaign, although in part to his detriment. |
| A series of personal attacks Rubio made against Trump, while hardly the sole reason for his failure, helped propel the senator’s campaign into a downward spiral from which he never quite recovered. As Floridians took to the polls, Rubio expressed regret over his uncharacteristically lowbrow tone and acknowledged he had embarrassed his wife, children and the supporters who looked to him as a role model. | A series of personal attacks Rubio made against Trump, while hardly the sole reason for his failure, helped propel the senator’s campaign into a downward spiral from which he never quite recovered. As Floridians took to the polls, Rubio expressed regret over his uncharacteristically lowbrow tone and acknowledged he had embarrassed his wife, children and the supporters who looked to him as a role model. |
| When Rubio’s campaign launched last April, he drew immediate comparisons to another young orator: Barack Obama. | |
| He, too, had the chance to make history and, in a nod to his roots as the son of Cuban immigrants, Rubio chose to make his announcement speech at the Freedom Tower in downtown Miami. | He, too, had the chance to make history and, in a nod to his roots as the son of Cuban immigrants, Rubio chose to make his announcement speech at the Freedom Tower in downtown Miami. |
| Standing 11 months ago in the building that once served as the landing place for millions of refugees fleeing Cuba in the 1960s, Rubio entered the race with the tale of his parents’ humble background as a bartender and a maid. | |
| He returned to their personal story when suspending his campaign on Tuesday, recalling how his mother arrived had in the US from Cuba in 1956 with little education and neither money nor connections. | He returned to their personal story when suspending his campaign on Tuesday, recalling how his mother arrived had in the US from Cuba in 1956 with little education and neither money nor connections. |
| “In this country, on this day, my mother, who’s now 85 years old, was able to cast a ballot for her son to be the president of the United States of America,” Rubio said. | “In this country, on this day, my mother, who’s now 85 years old, was able to cast a ballot for her son to be the president of the United States of America,” Rubio said. |
| As Rubio spoke, his supporters looked on with a blend of shock and dismay upon their tear-stained faces. There were audible chants of “No” when he announced his campaign would not continue. Rubio himself grew emotional at times, with his wife and four children at his side. | |
| For those who stood in the room clutching signs that bore his name, Rubio’s loss was stunning. To his supporters, Rubio still represented the future of his party – a future now more uncertain than any time in recent memory with the rise of Trump. | |
| Speaking to the Guardian on the evening before his presidential bid arrived at its close, Rubio forewarned of a dire road ahead if Republicans failed to recognize the perils of a Trump nomination. | Speaking to the Guardian on the evening before his presidential bid arrived at its close, Rubio forewarned of a dire road ahead if Republicans failed to recognize the perils of a Trump nomination. |
| “If we’re going to be the party of fear, we’re going to spend some time in the wilderness,” Rubio said. “If we’re the party of fear, with a candidate who basically is trying to prey upon people’s fears to get them to vote for them, I think we’re going to pay a big price in November and beyond.” | “If we’re going to be the party of fear, we’re going to spend some time in the wilderness,” Rubio said. “If we’re the party of fear, with a candidate who basically is trying to prey upon people’s fears to get them to vote for them, I think we’re going to pay a big price in November and beyond.” |
| If elected, Trump would not have the respect of allies around the globe, Rubio cautioned. | If elected, Trump would not have the respect of allies around the globe, Rubio cautioned. |
| “I think he’s already an embarrassment,” Rubio said. “People around the world are watching this debate and this campaign and wondering what’s happening here, because the things he says are nonsensical. | “I think he’s already an embarrassment,” Rubio said. “People around the world are watching this debate and this campaign and wondering what’s happening here, because the things he says are nonsensical. |
| “When you’re the most powerful and important nation on earth, you’re not always going to be popular,” he added. “But the question is, are you respected? And I don’t think Donald Trump is going to be respected.” | “When you’re the most powerful and important nation on earth, you’re not always going to be popular,” he added. “But the question is, are you respected? And I don’t think Donald Trump is going to be respected.” |
| He added: “I don’t know how this is all going to end. This is uncharted territory. But from my mind, the Republican party has a very important decision to make: are we going to be the party of fear or the party of optimism?” | |
| As he confirmed his departure from the race on Tuesday, Rubio made a direct appeal to the American people. | As he confirmed his departure from the race on Tuesday, Rubio made a direct appeal to the American people. |
| “Do not give in to the fear. Do not give in to the frustration,” he said. “For we are a hopeful people, and we have a right to be hopeful.” | “Do not give in to the fear. Do not give in to the frustration,” he said. “For we are a hopeful people, and we have a right to be hopeful.” |