In A Chilling Moment Marco Rubio Refuses To Say That He Trusts Trump With Nuclear Codes

Sen. Marco Rubio, who supported Trump during the presidential election, refused to say that he trusts the president-elect with the nuclear codes during an interview on Sunday.

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CNN’s Dana Bash asked Rubio repeatedly if he still had concerns about Trump having the nuclear codes:

BASH: Senator, do — do you still have those concerns about President-elect Trump?

RUBIO: Well, Dana, the bottom line, we had an election. And, ultimately, the voters chose him, both as our nominee and now as our president.

So, the election is over, and now it comes time to govern. And — and we’re going to give him every chance to be successful. And that’s what I’m focused on now. At some point, elections end and the governing needs to begin.

….

BASH: Senator, I — I completely get that elections are over, and now it is time for governing.

But given the fact that it is time for governing and your criticism was about his abilities to govern, you know, even as far as saying that he shouldn’t have his — have the nuclear codes because he’s too erratic, what will you do as senator, as somebody who actually has the — the responsibility of check and balance, to make sure that he is governing properly, given the concerns that you expressed?

RUBIO: The same — the same as I would do with anybody else who’s elected. I mean, we have a role in the Senate, for example, in our Cabinet appointments and nominations, that we’ll review each of those. And — and we’ll play our proper role under the Constitution.

….

BASH: So, do you feel comfortable now with Donald Trump in charge of the nuclear arsenal?

RUBIO: I feel comfortable that the voters have chosen him to be the commander in chief. And we’re going to give him every chance to be a successful one. And, ultimately, it will be incumbent upon him, as it would be upon any president who was elected, but a — to prove their capability in that role. And — and he deserves that opportunity. He has earned it at the ballot box.

Journalists have seen this Rubio before. When the Senator from Florida gets a question that he doesn’t want to answer, he gives them the Marco Two-Step dodge.

The question that Rubio dodged involved whether or not he trusted the man he supported in the general election not to cause a nuclear war once he is in office.

It is a serious question that goes directly to the post-WWII standard for presidents that they can be trusted not to blow up the world.

The implication of Rubio not saying that Trump can be trusted with the nuclear codes is chilling and should be considered by every Electoral College elector before they cast their ballot for Donald Trump.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association