Marco Rubio gave a particularly news-making interview to CNN’s Jake Tapper Tuesday. Under usual circumstances, in a usual election year, no one really cares what also-rans think of things at this point. But we have entered the era of Trump and the Republican meltdown has pivoted into the realm of spectator sport. Rubio, who was particularly critical of Trump in the last throes of his campaign, said he stands by what he said on the trail, but will support “the nominee.” In Rubio’s case that combination of “standing by” and “supporting” is particularly awkward.
From CNN:
“I stand by the things that I said” during the campaign, the Florida senator told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “The Lead,” referring to his past criticisms of the presumptive nominee, including calling him a “con man” and saying he shouldn’t be given access to nuclear codes. “But I’m not going to sit here right now and become his chief critic over the next six months, because he deserves the opportunity to go forward and make his argument and try to win.”… “I signed a pledge, put my name on it, and said I would support the Republican nominee and that’s what I intend to do,” he said.
Marco Rubio apparently adheres to a strict constructionist interpretation of the transitive property.
