Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) Sunday on CBS’s “Face The Nation” called the House committee investigating the January 6, 2021 riots a “complete partisan scam.”
Partial transcript as follows:
MARGARET BRENNAN: Right. So yes, so this appears a turning point for the party, though. Does the RNC speak for you when it says that this is a Democrat-led persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse. Was January 6th legitimate political discourse?
RUBIO: Well, anybody who committed crimes on January 6th should be prosecuted. If you entered the Capitol and you committed acts of violence and you were there to hurt people, you should be prosecuted and they are being prosecuted. But the January 6th commission is not the place to do this. That’s what prosecutors are supposed to do. This commission is a partisan scam. They’re going after- they’re- the purpose of that commission is to try to embarrass and smear and and harass as many Republicans as–
BRENNAN: That’s what you believe–
RUBIO: –they can get their hands on.
BRENNAN: –your two Republican colleagues are doing? Liz Cheney–
RUBIO: Well I believe–
BRENNAN: –and Adam Kinzinger?
RUBIO: –that’s what the commission is doing. Well, let me tell you, I know that’s what the commission is doing because they’re focused well beyond January 6th. There are people, for example, like in an older member of the RNC whose husband just died and she wasn’t even in Washington on January 6th–
BRENNAN: But that’s not what the censure said.
RUBIO: But she signed some papers. No, but well, I’m sure it is because that’s what- she- she- she wasn’t even in Washington on January 6th. She can’t afford to lawyer up, and she’s being harassed by this commission. This commission is nothing but a partisan tool designed to go out and smear and attack and get their hands on as many people as they can, including people that weren’t in Washington on January 6th.
BRENNAN: OK, sounds like you say they do speak for you. Let’s get to China.
RUBIO: Well, no I told you where I stand on that commission. I think that commission is a scam. I think it’s a complete partisan scam. And I think anyone who committed a crime on January 6th should be prosecuted and if convicted, put in jail. I do not believe that we need a congressional committee to harass Americans that weren’t even in Washington on January 6th, that were not in favor of what happened on that day, have condemned what happened on that day, but they want to smear them anyway. I’m against that, yes.
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