Marco Rubio warms to Ted Cruz

Rubio is easing into possible endorsement of Cruz.

(Image credit: Bob Levey/Getty Images)

published 17 March 2016

Nobody has ever looked more miserable than Marco Rubio when he reluctantly said he'd vote for Donald Trump, were Trump to be the Republican nominee. In the days following Rubio's brutal loss to Trump in his home state of Florida, and the subsequent suspension of his campaign, Rubio has kept his lips zipped on who he actually wants to see as the next president.

That being said, Rubio apparently does have a favorite, although he hasn't offered a full endorsement yet. But Cruz is "the only conservative left in the race," according to the Florida senator, who spoke on a conference call with supporters late on Wednesday, The New York Times reports.

Meanwhile, former Rubio-supporter Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina has already thrown her weight behind Cruz with an endorsement, saying it is her "hope and prayer" that Cruz wins the GOP nomination. Other former Rubio-backers are a little more hesitant to name names just yet. "I'm not sure whose campaign I want to kill next by endorsing," Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake reportedly said.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

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.

Explore More

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.