Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, widely seen as a potential vice presidential pick for former President Donald Trump, declined 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. The Democrats are the ones who have opposed every Republican victory since 2000. Every single one of them.”
He added: “And now we have Democrats saying they will not certify 2024 because Trump is an insurrectionist and ineligible to hold office. So you need to ask them.
Rubio’s refusal to say whether he would accept the results of the 2024 election is notable because he voted to certify the presidential election for then-President-elect Joe Biden. At the time, he said, “democracy is held together by people’s trust in elections and their willingness to respect their results.”
Moderator Kristen Welker rebuffed Rubio, reminding him that no Democratic presidential candidate — including Hillary Clinton in 2016, when she lost to Trump — has 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 was honest.”
Key Trump allies also refused to say whether they would commit to accepting the results of the upcoming presidential election, regardless of who wins.
Earlier this month, Republican Sen. Tim Scott, another potential vice presidential pick, also dodged questions about accepting the results of the upcoming election during an interview on 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 list of people Trump could choose to be his running mate this fall.
Rubio recently attended a closed-door donor retreat with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, alongside other vice presidential candidates, where the former president said Rubio was “absolutely” being considered.
“I didn’t speak to the president. I didn’t talk to anyone on the campaign,” Rubio told Welker.
Even so, he did not give up on the idea that he would accept the position if it were offered to him.
“That would be presumptuous to me,” Rubio said.
He added: “I think anyone who’s been offered this job to serve this country in the second highest position – assuming everything else in your life makes sense at that point – if you’re interested in serving the country, it’s an amazing place to be. serve. “
This story originally appeared on NBCNews.com read the full story
