Rubio: 'Hounds Of Hell Will Descend' On Trump If He Becomes GOP Nominee
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., didn't mince words when going after his Republican presidential rival Donald Trump.
On CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday, the Florida senator warned the "hounds of hell" will descend on Trump if he becomes the GOP nominee.
"If Donald Trump were to ever become the nominee, immediately the hounds of hell will descend on him, tear him apart, everything he's ever done from not releasing his taxes to all of his failed business dealings," Rubio said. "And Hillary Clinton's going to have a clear shot to the Oval Office."
Rubio revealed that he has been going after Trump more ahead of Super Tuesday because voters need to know the billionaire's candidacy is a scam.
"He conned all of these people who signed up for Trump University. Now he's trying to do the same thing to Republican voters," Rubio told "Face the Nation." "He's trying to convince them that somehow he's the guy that's going to stand up for illegal immigration but he hired illegal immigrants. He says he's fighting for American workers but he's hiring foreign workers for his hotels. That he's going to bring back jobs from China and Mexico, but in fact he's creating jobs in China and Mexico because that's where all of his suits and ties that he sells are made. It's a con job. It's a scam. And we're going to unveil it here, we're going to reveal it."
Rubio said there's a "weird bias" in the media and that's why Trump has been able to get away with some of his comments.
"No other candidate could've gotten away with that so I think there's kind of a weird bias in the media rooting for Donald Trump because they know he's the easiest Republican to beat," he said.
Rubio did acknowledge being the "underdog" has several polls still show him trail Trump nationally.
"We're going to be in this race as long as it takes, we're going to be in as many states as it takes to ensure that I'm the nominee and that Donald Trump never gets to 1,236 delegates, which is what he needs to be the nominee," Rubio told CBS News.
He trails Trump in virtually all of the 11 states holding nominating contests on March 1, known as Super Tuesday. The Florida senator has finished in no better than second place in the first four primary contests. Trump has won three out of four. And Texas Sen. Ted Cruz remains a top-tier contender, even after finishing in third place in the last three contests.
Given Trump's momentum, Rubio's team says publicly the senator's best chance for the nomination might be a contested national convention in July. That could happen only if Rubio prevents Trump from accumulating the majority of delegates in the months-long primary season that extends through June.
But Rubio said Saturday he expects to win the nomination outright.
"It'll take a few days to realize the game he's running. He's going to start to lose support, maybe not in time for Tuesday, but certainly in time for all states," Rubio said of Trump to reporters in Alabama, during a blur of Super Tuesday state stops. "I really believe the voters will decide."
And with Jeb Bush Bush now out of the race, Rubio has begun reeling in donors once loyal to the former governor.
Some Florida-based donors, as well as top donors and fundraisers in Washington, D.C., Chicago and elsewhere were ready to join Rubio's team immediately after Bush left the race. Rubio also attended a fundraiser in Midland, Texas, a longtime Bush stronghold, on Friday that featured several former Bush donors.
"There are a number of us, now that Gov. Bush is out of the race, who were very impressed with his debate Thursday, and see him as the one to take down Trump," said Chicago investor Craig Duchossois, who shifted from Bush to Rubio. "He showed he's not going to take any crap from him."
Rubio aides confirmed Sunday that Chicago investor Muneer Satter, a former leading Bush campaign donor, had joined Rubio's campaign as a member of his national fundraising leadership.
In the past two weeks, Rubio has also won the backing of four governors and 20 members of Congress, more than all of his Republican rivals combined.
Rubio had hoped to forestall a one-on-one brawl with Trump until there were only two. Cruz, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson remain in the race, although none have the level of support from as many governors and members of Congress as Rubio.
In a year of the outsider, however, it's unclear how much that will boost his momentum.
And in the meantime, Rubio's assault on Trump's character continues.
Audiences in Super Tuesday states Oklahoma, Georgia and Alabama ate up the tough talk as he whipped through Southern states.
"It's about time he take his gloves off and start fighting," said Gary Baker from Okmulgee, Oklahoma. "I think he should have started punching sooner."
Better late than never, said Greg Strimple, a Republican pollster and former adviser to the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
"The Rubio campaign needs to set-up a contrast on Trump, equate Trump to the culture of corruption Americans hate -- where the rich get richer and middle class pays the price," Strimple said.
Rubio says there's time, but none to waste.
"If you sense a sense of urgency, it's not just about winning," Rubio said. "It's about the idea that the party of Reagan and the conservative movement could fall into the hands of a con man, who's pulling the ultimate con job on the American people."
Trump got a big endorsement Sunday during a rally in Alabama – Sen. Jeff Sessions.
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