Just one month after tweeting that he'd "only said like 10000 times" that he'd be a "private citizen" come January, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) appears to have changed his mind. In an interview with the Miami Herald, Rubio confirmed weeks of rumors that he'd been re-considering his decision to leave the Senate. "The point that really drove me to change my mind is that as we enter this kind of new chapter in our history [with the presidential election] ... there's another role the Senate plays that I think can be really important," Rubio said, "and that's the power given to it in the Constitution to act as a check and balance on the excess of the president."
Rubio had reportedly begun telling some Republicans about his change of plans. He reportedly reached out to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), another one-time 2016 presidential candidate, to ask for his endorsement, though aides say Cruz declined the request because he didn't want to "be accused of nudging out U.S. Representative Ron DeSantis, the tea-party favorite in the race for Rubio's seat," The Washingtonian reports. DeSantis suggested last week that he would consider dropping out if Rubio decided to run.
Rubio's entry in the race comes just days ahead of the Friday deadline for candidate filings, and at the behest of his Republican colleagues. A close friend of Rubio's, Florida Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera, has already told his supporters he'd back off if Rubio decides to run, and, last week, another Republican running for Rubio's seat, Rep. David Jolly, withdrew from the race.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Rubio is expected to make a formal announcement Wednesday afternoon. His candidacy greatly boosts the GOP's chances of retaining his Florida seat — one that could tip the Senate majority to either side of the aisle.
-
Bari Weiss’ ‘60 Minutes’ scandal is about more than one reportIN THE SPOTLIGHT By blocking an approved segment on a controversial prison holding US deportees in El Salvador, the editor-in-chief of CBS News has become the main story
-
CBS pulls ‘60 Minutes’ report on Trump deporteesSpeed Read An investigation into the deportations of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador’s notorious prison was scrapped
-
Trump administration posts sliver of Epstein filesSpeed Read Many of the Justice Department documents were heavily redacted, though new photos of both Donald Trump and Bill Clinton emerged
-
Trump HHS moves to end care for trans youthSpeed Read The administration is making sweeping proposals that would eliminate gender-affirming care for Americans under age 18
-
Jack Smith tells House of ‘proof’ of Trump’s crimesSpeed Read President Donald Trump ‘engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election,’ hoarded classified documents and ‘repeatedly tried to obstruct justice’
-
House GOP revolt forces vote on ACA subsidiesSpeed Read The new health care bill would lower some costs but not extend expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies
-
Hegseth rejects release of full boat strike footageSpeed Read There are calls to release video of the military killing two survivors of a Sept. 2 missile strike on an alleged drug trafficking boat
-
Trump vows naval blockade of most Venezuelan oilSpeed Read The announcement further escalates pressure on President Nicolás Maduro
