Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) announced his presidential campaign Monday night at Miami's Freedom Tower, saying, "now the time has come for our generation to lead the way toward a new American Century."
In a speech lasting about 20 minutes, the 43-year-old senator told his supporters, "I live in an exceptional country where the son of a bartender and a maid can have the same dreams and the same future as those who come from power and privilege." Before being flanked by his family onstage, he also stated: "The final verdict on our generation will be written by Americans who have not yet been born. Let us make sure they record that we made the right choice, that in the early years of this century, faced with a rapidly changing and uncertain world, our generation rose to face the great challenges of our time and because we did, there was still one place in the world where who you come from does not determine how far you go."
Earlier in his speech, Rubio referenced Hillary Clinton's presidential bid, saying she was a leader from "yesterday," and called out people who think he should "wait his turn" to run. "I cannot," he said, "because I believe our very identity as an exceptional nation is at stake, and I can make a difference as president."
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