When Donald Trump was in Florida at the beginning of August, Marco Rubio put his political muscle to the test and called on him to address the Zika crisis.
The response from Trump: Silence, followed by ignorantly claiming that Rick Scott had “the Zika” under control.
But hey, at least Marco got a really effusive endorsement from his best friend Donald Trump.
In the following weeks, the Zika virus has continued to spread in Florida while Trump remains alarmingly silent on the issue. Likewise, Marco Rubio and his Republican allies in the Senate have remained comfortably on vacation.
Trump’s poorly-informed response to a broadening public health crisis reveals someone who is wholly unfit to confront the challenges of the presidency. Rubio’s continued support of Trump shows he is obsessed with his political future above all else, including his constituents.
Will Trump break his silence on Zika tomorrow in Tampa? Doubtful. More likely is that Marco Rubio’s inability to rally his own party to address a public health crisis will once again be on full display.
Trump Claims “The Zika” Under Control
Trump Said Rick Scott “Probably Already Does” Have “The Zika” Under Control. According to the Miami Herald, “Donald Trump seemed ill-prepared Wednesday to answer questions from a West Palm Beach CBS affiliate on the Zika virus outbreak plaguing Florida. The Republican presidential nominee opined that Gov. Rick Scott, a Trump backer, is ‘doing a fantastic job’ fighting the mosquito-borne virus. ‘First of all, you have a great governor who’s doing a fantastic job, Rick Scott, on the Zika. And it’s a problem, it’s a big problem,’ Trump told CBS 12. ‘But I watch and I see and I see what they’re doing with the spraying and everything else. And I think he’s doing a fantastic job. And he’s letting everyone know exactly what the problem is and how to get rid of it. He’s going to have it under control. He probably already does.’ There are currently 351 confirmed Zika cases in the state.” [Miami Herald, 8/3/16]
Trump Said “It’s Up To Rick Scott” If Congress Should Convene An Emergency Session To Approve Zika Funding. According to the Miami Herald, “Asked if Congress should convene an emergency session to approve Zika funding, Trump seemed to consider the matter a state — rather than federal — issue. ‘I would say that it’s up to Rick Scott,’ he said. ‘It depends on what he’s looking to do, because really seems to have it under control in Florida.’” [Miami Herald, 8/3/16]
Published: Aug 24, 2016