Rubio highlights national security in first TV ad
Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio released his first television ad Sunday, calling the Paris attacks "a civilizational struggle between the values of freedom and liberty and radical Islamic tyranny."
"What happened in Paris could happen here," Rubio says, speaking directly to the camera against an all-black background. "There is no middle ground. These aren't disgruntled or disempowered people. These are radical terrorists who want to kill us. Because we let women drive. Because we let girls go to school." See the ad here:
He also updates the typical candidate sign off about approving the message, and instead says, "I approve this message because there can be no arrangement or negotiation. Either they win or we do."
The Florida senator has tried to play up his national security expertise, a focus since he was elected to the Senate in 2010. On "Fox News Sunday" Rubio said that the attacks in Paris were a "positive development" in that they "forced Americans to confront more carefully the issue of national security."
"It is the most important thing a president will do and that is the most important function of the federal government," Rubio said. "I hope that we focus on that more, not just for political advantage, but because the world has become a very dangerous place."