Former White House hopeful Marco Rubio broke his silence on Monday to send the presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump a clear message: He’s not interested in being his running mate.
“While Republican voters have chosen Donald Trump as the presumptive GOP nominee, my previously stated reservations about his campaign and concerns with many of his policies remain unchanged,” the Florida senator wrote in a statement posted to Facebook on Monday.
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Instead, Rubio said Trump would “best be served by a running mate and by surrogates who fully embrace his campaign.”
“As such, I have never sought, will not seek and do not want to be considered for Vice President,” he added. “Instead, I will focus my attention on representing the people of Florida, retaining a conservative majority in the Senate and electing principled conservatives across the country.”
The first-term senator ended his own presidential bid in mid-March after Trump dealt him a landslide loss in his home state of Florida. Rubio and Trump had previously sparred during GOP primary debates over the billionaire’s foreign policy and immigration reform proposals.
Just last week a handful of Louisiana delegates who were committed to Rubio penned an open letter to Trump urging him to choose the Florida senator as his running mate. Trump had previously said he would consider both Rubio and Ohio Gov. John Kasich as possible vice presidential picks.
As the speculation continues, Trump has said he plans to announce his running mate at the Republican National Convention in July.
