Marco Rubio rails against critical race theory ‘indoctrination’

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio on Thursday decried critical race theory as “indoctrination,” in comments supportive of new instructional guidelines approved by the Florida Board of Education banning the pedagogical approach.

“Not only is it an inaccurate reading of our history, but I actually think it’s indoctrination, headed toward a political aim,” Rubio said of critical race theory, which he added was a “crazy, faculty club theory” just a decade ago.

Rubio made the comments on Fox News, as part of a larger tranche of concerns over the academic approach.

“I think this is hysteria. Part of a broader hysteria. But also a concerted effort to rewrite the history of America,” Rubio said on “The Story with Martha MacCallum.”

“Critical race theory at its core is a theory that teaches that Americans are divided between oppressors and the oppressed,” Rubio added. “Oppressors, even though you may not have individually oppressed anybody, (are) inherently evil and need to apologize for things in the past that you had nothing to do with.”

The “oppressed,” Rubio contrasted, “never do anything wrong.”

Critical race theory, added Rubio, “goes on to tell the story that for 240 years America has been a symbol of hatred, prejudice, bigotry, White patriarchy and things of this nature.”

The ban on instructors editorializing outside the parameters set by the Board of Education should appeal to Rubio.

American history is to be defined “largely on universal principles stated in the Declaration of Independence.” Teachers’ apparent efforts “to indoctrinate or persuade students to a particular point of view” will also be banned.

The ban was a priority of Gov. Ron DeSantis, who messaged about it throughout the meeting where the the new guidelines were being workshopped.

“The woke class wants to teach kids to hate each other, rather than teaching them how to read, but we will not let them bring nonsense ideology into Florida’s schools,” said DeSantis. “I find it unthinkable that there are other people in positions of leadership in the federal government who believe that we should teach kids to hate our country.”

With Rubio and DeSantis effectively presenting as a ticket in 2022, there is little daylight between them on a key culture war issue as the campaign season starts to heat up.