Culture

Marco Rubio Won’t Hold a Town Hall Meeting Because He Doesn’t Want to Get His Feelings Hurt

Lead Photo: Photo: Steve Nesius/Reuters
Photo: Steve Nesius/Reuters
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As politicians with ties to President Donald Trump get an earful from their constituents,  Republican Sen. Marco Rubio found a way to get around it: hide. This week, Floridians living in Tampa and Miami held town-hall style meetings to air their grievances, but Rubio was a no-show in both cities, according to the Miami New Times. So far, the Miami-born senator hasn’t held a town hall, so constituents have taken the initiative and invited him – literally, all he had to do was show up. According to the Miami Herald, Rubio’s aides said he couldn’t attend the meetings because he’d be in Europe this week for Senate stuff.

And that part is true. Rubio did go to Europe, but he returned Wednesday night, so he could have easily attended the meeting in Miami on Thursday. (The Tampa one took place on the day he returned.) On Thursday, a protester saw Marco Rubio at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami and filmed their interaction. “Senator, I thought you were in Europe,” the unnamed man said. “Are you going to host a town hall?” “Good to see you, man,” Rubio responded without answering his question.

Later on Thursday, the same protester spoke to Rubio – this time at Florida International University, where Rubio teaches. After urging Rubio to hold a town hall, Rubio explained that he doesn’t like them because people get “rude and stupid on both sides.”

Rubio didn’t show up, but the town hall organizers came prepared. They replaced Rubio with an empty suit. When the event’s emcee announced that Marco couldn’t make it, South Miami Mayor Dr. Philip Stoddard held the suit and tried to pour the contents of a small water bottle for the perpetually thirsty (but not in that way) “Rubio.” The meeting included Stoddard, Miami Beach City Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez, Pinecrest Mayor Cindy Lerner, and Justin Klecha, the deputy director of SAVE Miami-Dade – a LGBTQ rights group.

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