From the March 4 edition of NBC's Today:
NBC's Guthrie Confronts Rubio On Agreeing To Vote For Trump Despite Calling Him “A Con Artist”
Written by Media Matters Staff
Published
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE (HOST): Let's talk about that debate. You really let Donald Trump have it, calling him a con artist, calling him a fraud, saying he doesn't really know much about foreign policy, and seems totally uncurious to learn. But then something happened at the end of the debate. You rose your hand and said, yes, if he's the nominee, you will support him. How do you square those two things?
SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R-FL): Yeah, I get it. I mean that's the quandary that we're in, right. We as Republicans feel that Hillary Clinton would be a disaster to the country. That's how bad she is. I would look at that as a reflection of how bad she is, not as good Donald Trump is. Look, that's what I want us to avoid. I don't want us to nominate someone that people have to be asked this question about all the time. If this was anyone else, if any other candidate that ran for president this year would be sitting in the position Donald Trump is today, that question would not be coming up. There is a reason why that question is being asked. And that is because there is a significant percentage of people in our party that will never vote for him, that do not want him as our nominee because he's vulgar, but also has no policy ideas. And the ones he has outlined are either dangerous or unserious. We're in a really bad spot here right now.
GUTHRIE: Fair enough, right. I hear you, but when push came to shove, you said you'd go into the ballot box and vote for Donald Trump.
RUBIO: Yeah, I know. Look, I'm not voting for Hillary Clinton. And so, I get it. Look, I understand your question. It's not, this is the tough spot that I want us to avoid. I don't want us to have a nominee that people have to settle for or make excuses for why they voted. And that's what we're trying to avoid here. And the only way to do it is to unify around a campaign like mine because I can bring this party together and I can grow it. And we're not going to be able to do that under Donald Trump.
Previously:
NBC's Matt Lauer Calls Out Mitt Romney For Previously Embracing Donald Trump's Endorsement
“Shameful,” “Disgusting,” “Despicable” - Fox News Focus Group Slams Fox News Debate
Sean Hannity: “I Suspect” Marco Rubio Is Being “Coached” To Attack Trump