Marco Rubio: Media, politicians cower from ‘terror of the mob’
Marco Rubio.

marco-rubio
Do reporters, politicians fear violent protesters? Senator contends so.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio on Friday again turned his attention to violence in American streets, with Kenosha’s conflagration after police shot a man the latest example of the “rage that we have seen throughout this year of trials.”

That rage, he said, manifests through mob violence. And he holds public officials and the working press responsible for not calling the carnage out for what it is, he said in a self-produced video.

“Many in government reluctantly and timidly condemn these rioters because they fear tarnishing peaceful protesters. And many major news organizations downplay the terror of the mob because it doesn’t fit their narrative.”

The Senator went on to describe “local authorities, afraid of the mob,” with the narrative creating a destabilization not novel to the violence in Kenosha.

“The day belonged to the protesters who were demanding justice. The night belonged to the vandals, arsonists, looters, and a destructive cycle was underway,” Rubio said.

The Senator acknowledged “the long-standing and simmering view in the African-American community that black men are targeted by law enforcement, often with deadly results,” but said that should be “addressed through reforms that make everyone safer, not riots.”

The Senator has touched on these themes with regularity since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, including this week, when he said that Democrats “don’t want to be seen” opposing the protesters, because of potential ideological overlap.

“I don’t have an answer to it,” Rubio said, “except to say they think or suspect the ideology of some of those people who are out there doing this aligns with theirs. They don’t want to be seen as taking them on.”

Rubio’s position is similar to that of Sen. Rick Scott, who said Tuesday that Democrats won’t take on the protesters because the party wants their votes.

A.G. Gancarski

A.G. Gancarski has written for FloridaPolitics.com since 2014. He is based in Northeast Florida. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter: @AGGancarski


2 comments

  • Sonja Fitch

    August 28, 2020 at 3:41 pm

    Marco give it a rest! You are a coward that cowers and squats when traitor Trump tells you!

  • Pedro

    August 30, 2020 at 2:37 am

    Of course everyone should be in favor of allowing peaceful protest. We must also be against violent protest and looting.
    Senator Rubio, you are one of the last people who should be criticizing anyone, however. Concentrate on not being an enabler for Trump, which you have been so far. You and many of your Republican colleagues never criticize Trump. You are afraid of him and his base. You are afraid they will put up a challenger to you in the next Republican primary.
    You like to quote the Bible a lot. Read Matthew 7:5. It says, “You hypocrite! First take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”

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