Florida GOP Senator. Marco Rubiowidely seen as a potential vice presidential pick for former president Donald Trumpdeclined on Sunday to say whether he would accept the results of the 2024 presidential election, instead blaming Democrats for sowing doubts about the election.
The senator, appearing on NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” said, “I think you’re asking the wrong person.” It is the Democrats who have opposed every Republican victory since 2000. Piece by piece.”
He added: “And you now have Democrats saying they won’t certify 2024 because Trump is an insurrectionist and ineligible for office. So you have to ask them.”
Rubio’s refusal to say whether he would accept the outcome of the 2024 election is notable because he did vote to certify the presidential election for then-President-elect Joe Biden. At the time, he said: “Democracy is held together by the people’s faith in elections and their willingness to abide by their results.”
Moderator Kristen Welker pushed Rubio back and reminded him that no Democratic presidential candidate — including Hillary Clinton in 2016, when she lost to Trump — refused to concede the election.
In early May, Trump himself told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he would only accept the results of the presidential election in Wisconsin “if everything is fair.”
High-profile Trump allies have also declined to say whether they will commit to accepting the results of the upcoming presidential election, regardless of who wins.
Earlier this month, GOP Sen. Tim Scottanother potential vice presidential pick, also dodged questions about accepting the results of the upcoming election during an interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press.”
“Ultimately, the 47th president of the United States will be President Donald Trump,” Scott told Welker.
Rubio also addressed widespread reports that he is on a short list of people Trump could tap as his running mate this fall.
Rubio recently attended a closed-door donor retreat at Mar-a-Lago with Trump, along with other VP hopefuls, where the former president said Rubio was “absolutely” under consideration.
“I haven’t spoken to the president. I haven’t spoken to anyone in the campaign,” Rubio told Welker.
Yet he did not hesitate to accept the position if it was offered to him.
“To me, that would be presumptuous,” Rubio said.
He added: “I think anyone who has been offered this job to serve this country in the second highest office – assuming everything else in your life makes sense at the time – if you’re interested in serving the country to serve, it is an incredible place to serve. ”
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
