The Most Cowardly Things Marco Rubio Has Done This Year

On Thursday, Newsweek investigative reporter Kurt Eichenwald revealed that Donald Trump had violated the Cuban embargo by sending consultants to the communist island in 1997. Though this wasn't the first time Trump had been accused of illegally dealing in Fidel Castro country, Eichenwald's report is certainly the most comprehensive evidence yet that Trump...

By Jerry Iannelli

October 2, 2016

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This past Thursday, Newsweek investigative reporter Kurt Eichenwald revealed Donald Trump had violated the Cuban embargo by sending consultants to the communist island in 1997. Though this wasn't the first time Trump had been accused of illegally dealing in Fidel Castro country, Eichenwald's report is certainly the most comprehensive evidence yet that Trump broke the law. Unlike earlier reports, Newsweek actually quoted Trump company documents that showed he spent money in Cuba and then tried to pretend the cash was part of a charitable donation.

Yet in the face of all that evidence, Marco Rubio — who is Cuban, pro-embargo, and staunchly anti-Castro — has refused to denounce Trump for his actions. Rather than stand by his principles, Rubio told the Miami Herald he'd wait for "all the facts" before denouncing Trump's work in Cuba or criticizing the presidential candidate for lying to Miami Cubans about his hatred for Castro. Rubio then tweeted out an article that (A) erroneously claimed Trump hadn't broken the law (he did), and (B) blamed the Clintons for "working to hand the Castro regime billions of dollars."

Rubio markets himself as a qualified leader with the fortitude to run the world's largest superpower. But as anyone following the Senator already knows, the man has a long history of flip-flopping, gutlessness, and opportunism. He's currently running for reelection, so let's recap the most egregious things he's done this election cycle.

1. Promising a thousand times he wouldn't run for Senate again and then running for Senate.

2. Using the Pulse nightclub tragedy as his reason for running for Senate, saying he felt awful for Orlando's LGBT community, and then appearing alongside virulently anti-gay Christian pastors at a conference.

3. Refusing to actually take a side, either way, on climate change during this year's debate.

4. Admitting he'd vote for Donald Trump after calling him "racist" and "xenophobic."

5. Then encouraging others to also vote for Trump.

Jerry Iannelli is a former staff writer for Miami New Times from 2015 to March 2020. He graduated with honors from Temple University. He then earned a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University.

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