Sen. Marco Rubio took the stage in Alcoa, Tennessee this morning after storming through four rallies in the state of Virginia. Speaking to supporters, he clearly exhibited a raspy voice as he fought through his campaign speech.
“You might not be able to tell but this is not my normal voice,” he said, joking that he was trying to get his “Barry White voice going.”
“We’ve been working hard for you,” he said. “And if it means by the end of tonight, I don’t have a voice and I have to whisper how strongly I feel about the future of this country, then I’m willing to do it.”
Rubio reminded the crowds that his sacrifice was nothing compared to the sacrifices made by soldiers who served in the United States Armed Forces.
“Our Veterans and so many others have given up way much more than just their voice for just one day,” he said.
He mocked Trump for “avoiding the draft because he said he got hurt playing squash.”
“That’s a violent game right?” Rubio joked.
He referred to the thousands of texts and emails he received thanking him for standing up to Trump “the bully.”
“He’s not a bully … he’s just a big talker and a yapper, and a guy who has been able to manipulate the media and get a lot of attention … and he’s a good con-man,” he said.
Rubio was introduced by career politician Sen. Lamar Alexander, who warned Americans against simply voting out of anger at Washington D.C. and supporting Trump.
“This cannot be one of those times where you marry, like example, marrying someone who your parents hate just to get back at them,” he said. “Unfortunately if you elect a president, you can’t get divorced for at least four years.”
As his supporters shouted “Dump Trump,” Rubio focused on the uproar over Trump’s failure to denounce the Klu Klux Klan during an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper on Sunday.
“I don’t care how bad the earpiece is, Klu Klux Klan comes through pretty clearly — he refuses to criticize it!” Rubio marveled. “How can someone like that be our nominee?”
The rally was hosted at a hanger next to an airport near Knoxville, Tennessee. At one point, Rubio stopped and turned after hearing an airplane roaring by.
“I just want to make sure that’s not Trump’s plane,” he joked. “It’s called ‘Hair Force One.’”
Trump appeared to be on Rubio’s mind throughout the speech as he pleaded his supporters to talk to their friends and anyone else they knew who were supporting Trump in the upcoming election.
“We cannot elect the dog that caught the car. Get it?” Rubio said. “Think about it. The dog is always barking at the car. What are you going to do when you catch that car? We can’t risk it.”
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.