Marco Rubio: ‘I’ve never talked to Donald Trump,’ about Vice President post

Florida U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio continues to say that he has not talked to Donald Trump or his team about running for Vice President, but strongly defended the former President during a weekend appearance on ABC News.

At one point, ABC News’ Jonathan Karl showed a clip of Rubio in 2016 calling Trump a “con artist” and telling Republican voters they should not vote for him.

Rubio fired back that that was during the campaign and later in the interview said there was merit to Trump’s assertion that he has immunity during acts that occurred while he was President.

Trump has been charged criminally in four different cases, including one that says he tried to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

“I do think there is a legitimate issue we need to talk about writ large,” said Rubio, who said some of the investigations were partisan and that opponents of a President could have leverage by threatening to investigate them once they are out of office.

Rubio, who was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010 before launching his own unsuccessful bid for president, has seen his name bubble up as a possible Vice Presidential pick.

Karl asked him about considering theVP slot after what happened to former Vice President Mike Pence who came under pressure from Trump supporters to block the certification of the 2020 results.

Rubio said anyone asked to do the job should be “honored” but he also reiterated that he has no communication with anyone in the Trump campaign about the position.

“Being Vice President is an important way to serve the country, but I’ve also been clear I’ve never talked to Donald Trump, I’ve never talked to anyone on his team or family or inner circle about Vice President,” Rubio said. “That’s a decision he’s going to make. He’s got plenty of really good people to pick from.”

Rubio also maintained about Trump that the “country and world was a better place when he was president and I would love to see him return to the White House.”

Rubio over the weekend also appeared on Miami station NBC 6 where he told Jackie Nespral that he has not lined up behind any possible contenders for the position of Senate Republican leader. Sen. Mitch McConnell, who announced he would step down from the post in November. Sen. Rick Scott challenged McConnell after the 2022 midterm elections but was soundly defeated.