In the wake of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on Wednesday afternoon, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) called it a "terrible day you pray never comes," and the backlash on Twitter was quick.
The New York Daily News reports that over the course of his career as an elected official, Rubio has received $3,303,355 from the NRA, plus an "A+" grade, and during the 2015-16 campaign cycle, he accepted $90,205 in contributions from gun rights groups. Several people tweeted "$3,303,355" to Rubio, adding comments like, "You chose money over dead kids" and "While you're praying, also pray for a spine to stand up to the NRA that has bought you off so effectively with their blood-money."
Others called him out for voting against limiting firearm magazine capacities and keeping people on the terrorist watch list from purchasing guns, and said he should draft legislation that bans AR-15s, the weapon used by the alleged shooter on Wednesday. Later, Rubio tweeted that he had finished an update with federal authorities on the shooting, and it was an attack "designed and executed to maximize loss of life," another statement that elicited rage. "You take millions from the NRA and voted against outlawing the weapon used today," one woman tweeted. "How about this time you skip the thoughts and prayers and actually do something to keep our children from being slaughtered in their classrooms. Signed, a Florida voter."
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.
-
5 ballsy cartoons about the new White House ballroomCartoons Artists take on the White House Disneyland, a menu for the elites, and more
-
‘Congratulations on your house, but maybe try a greyhound instead’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
How climate change poses a national security threatThe explainer A global problem causing more global problems
-
Trump pardons crypto titan who enriched familySpeed Read Binance founder Changpeng Zhao pleaded guilty in 2023 to enabling money laundering while CEO of the cryptocurrency exchange
-
Thieves nab French crown jewels from LouvreSpeed Read A gang of thieves stole 19th century royal jewels from the Paris museum’s Galerie d’Apollon
-
Arsonist who attacked Shapiro gets 25-50 yearsSpeed Read Cody Balmer broke into the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion and tried to burn it down
-
Man charged over LA’s deadly Palisades Firespeed read 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht has been arrested in connection with the fire that killed 12 people
-
4 dead in shooting, arson attack in Michigan churchSpeed Read A gunman drove a pickup truck into a Mormon church where he shot at congregants and then set the building on fire
-
2 kids killed in shooting at Catholic school massSpeed Read 17 others were wounded during a morning mass at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis
-
Australian woman found guilty of mushroom murdersspeed read Erin Patterson murdered three of her ex-husband's relatives by serving them toxic death cap mushrooms
-
Combs convicted on 2 of 5 charges, denied bailSpeed Read Sean 'Diddy' Combs was acquitted of the more serious charges of racketeering and sex trafficking
