Former Florida allies Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio go off on each other at combative GOP debate


Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) turned a presidential debate question asking him if he "hates his job" into a diatribe on the mainstream media, and then quickly went on the offensive after Jeb Bush called him out for missing several votes in the Senate.
In an editorial earlier in the day, the Sun Sentinel in Florida said because he is running for president, Rubio has missed more votes than any other senator this year and is "ripping us off." When asked at Wednesday's GOP debate if he hated his job, Rubio didn't respond, instead lashing out at the Sun Sentinel for not saying anything when John Kerry and President Obama missed votes while on the campaign trail. "This is another example of a double standard that exists in this country between the mainstream media and conservatives," he said to applause.
Bush piped up, saying that he's a constituent of Rubio and "expected that he would do constituent service, meaning he shows up to work. He got endorsed by the Sun Sentinel because he was the most talented guy in the field. He's a gifted politician. But Marco, when you signed up for this, this was a six-year term and you should be showing up for work. Literally, what is the Senate, like a French work week? You get like three days you have to show up?"
Subscribe to 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.
Bush then suggested that Rubio resign and let someone else take the job, since "there are a lot of people working paycheck to paycheck in Florida as well, looking for a senator that will fight for them each and every day."
Rubio swiftly pointed out that Bush said he is modeling his campaign after John McCain's, and asked, "Do you know how many votes John McCain missed when he was carrying out that furious comeback? I don't remember you ever complaining about John McCain's vote record. The only reason why you're doing it now is because we're running for the same position and someone convinced you that attacking me is gonna help you." Rubio added that he will not go after anyone onstage. Minutes later, his communications director sent out a tweet urging people to watch the Bush vs. Rubio smackdown, then watch it again.
It wasn't the first combative moment of the night. Just minutes into the debate, Donald Trump was asked (in his opinion, "not very nicely") if he was running a "comic book version of a presidential campaign," and Ohio Gov. John Kasich said his fellow candidates were making "empty promises" and playing "fantasy tax games." Later, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz ripped the moderators, saying Americans don't trust the media, and they had reason not to — CNBC's questions, he said, were barbed and didn't focus on matters of substance. "This is not," he added, "a cage match." Catherine Garcia
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Today's political cartoons - March 30, 2025
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - strawberry fields forever, secret files, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 hilariously sparse cartoons about further DOGE cuts
Cartoons Artists take on free audits, report cards, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Following the Tea Horse Road in China
The Week Recommends This network of roads and trails served as vital trading routes
By The Week UK Published
-
The JFK files: the truth at last?
In The Spotlight More than 64,000 previously classified documents relating the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy have been released by the Trump administration
By The Week Staff Published
-
Supreme Court upholds 'ghost gun' restrictions
Speed Read Ghost guns can be regulated like other firearms
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump sets 25% tariffs on auto imports
Speed Read The White House says the move will increase domestic manufacturing. But the steep import taxes could also harm the US auto industry.
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump allies urge White House to admit chat blunder
Speed Read Even pro-Trump figures are criticizing The White House's handling of the Signal scandal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Waltz takes blame for texts amid calls for Hegseth ouster
Speed Read Democrats are calling for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and national security adviser Michael Waltz to step down
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Judge: Nazis treated better than Trump deportees
speed read U.S. District Judge James Boasberg reaffirmed his order barring President Donald Trump from deporting alleged Venezuelan gang members
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US officials share war plans with journalist in group chat
Speed Read Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg was accidentally added to a Signal conversation about striking Yemen
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Canada's Mark Carney calls snap election
speed read Voters will go to the polls on April 28 to pick a new government
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published