It only took Marco Rubio losing the first four states and seeing himself trailing in the polls, including in his home state of Florida, to decide that maybe he needed to attack Donald Trump sometime. At this point in the Republican primary, that means going from zero to 60. Rubio’s Super PAC has two ads attacking Trump, one for not knowing enough about foreign policy and the other, called “Fools,” repeatedly showing Trump saying “I love the poorly educated.”
“That’s really what Donald Trump is all about,” a narrator says. “He thinks we’re fools. Trump uses sleazy bankruptcy laws to avoid paying workers, he bans disabled veterans from his high rise. He even tried to use eminent domain to kick a widow from her home. Donald Trump puts himself first and us last.”
While of course Rubio’s Super PAC can’t be coordinating with his campaign, that ad is right on the message Rubio himself is running with.
Rubio, the leading aggressor during the debate, picked up where he left off Friday morning. In several television interviews, he questioned Trump's business background, his ability to lead the nation, and repeatedly called the billionaire businessman a "con artist" who has spent decades "sticking it to the little guy."
The thing about going from zero to 60 with attacks on Donald Trump is that Trump knows what to do with them.
"I've dealt with tougher," Trump sniffed after taking incoming for two-plus hours Thursday night. He said he knew the attacks were coming because "they're desperate. They're losing by massive amounts."
It does look a little desperate of Rubio to go from claiming high-minded reasons for not attacking Trump to attacking him all-out just a few days later. And, of course, when you attack Trump, you guarantee that Trump will attack you back. Trump tweeted Friday morning that “Lightweight Marco Rubio was working hard last night. The problem is, he is a choker, and once a choker, always a choker! Mr. Meltdown.” Prepare to hear lots more about that.