Rubio: ‘I didn’t run for the Senate to run for president again’

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) maintains that his decision to run for reelection is not part of a plan to put himself in better position to mount another presidential campaign in 2020.

{mosads}”I didn’t run for the Senate to run for president again,” Rubio said in an interview with CBS News’s “Face the Nation” set to air on Sunday. 

“Any political expert would tell you this is not the right way to do it — expose yourself in another election, in a very unpredictable, to say the least, election cycle after saying you weren’t going to do it. It’s a tough election in a strong swing state.

“It’s not the safest route forward,” he added. “I’m running for reelection because I’m going to be a senator. I’m going to spend six years in the Senate making my mark on behalf of the people of Florida, but also on behalf of the things that are important for America.”

But when asked if he learned that senators don’t fare well running for president, Rubio demurred.

“No, I don’t think that’s true,” he said.

Rubio said that he realized during the primary that the Republican Party is more diverse than the Democratic Party because of its different brands of conservatism.

“You know, first of all, I learned the Republican Party is a diverse party,” Rubio said. “It truly is much more diverse than the Democratic Party. It has elements of libertarianism that are very strong. It continues to have its traditional elements of strong on national security, pro-family, pro-Constitution.”