Duval Times

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) appeared on America’s Newsroom to discuss the planned attack on President Trump and the increasing violence from the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. Highlights of the interview are available, with the full discussion accessible on YouTube and Rumble.

Addressing whether left-wing rhetoric contributed to the planned attack on President Trump, Rubio stated: “If you repeatedly say someone is going to be the next Adolf Hitler, the next Mussolini, an American dictator—there are publications that have actually put out front page stories that depict Trump looking like Hitler—if you do these sorts of things, the overwhelming majority of people that see that are going to say, ‘We better vote against this guy,’ but there are enough lunatics and nut jobs out there who are going to take the next step and say: ‘This guy is truly evil. If this guy is truly dangerous, if our democracy and our system of government is going to be wiped out if this guy wins, I need to take this guy out.’”

Rubio emphasized the need for more information about the attacker: “We need to learn more about this individual. We need to learn how he got there, why the perimeter wasn’t secured, who he was, and what was behind it. But I think we know enough about some of the things he’s posted to say that he clearly was influenced in some way by this rhetoric about Trump being this dangerous dictator in waiting.”

On whether President Trump should receive protection equivalent to a sitting president's security detail, Rubio commented: “It’s a Secret Service decision, and if they need more resources, I bet you they’d find support up here to do it. There’s a few reasons why. First, he’s not just a candidate. He’s a candidate that now has been the target of not one but two real attempts on his [life]. It was a potential attempt on his life in this case because the guy didn’t get a shot off, but he would have taken a shot had he had a shot.”

He also noted threats from foreign entities: “The second thing is we also know—and this has been publicized—that we have a nation state—in Iran—that is actively seeking the assassination of Donald Trump in retribution for the Soleimani strike. The two assassination attempts in the heat of this campaign combined with the known threat of foreign agents who are seeking his assassination and have actually said so publicly raise the level of security he needs beyond just that of a candidate.”

Regarding questions surrounding President Trump's would-be assassin Ryan Routh, Rubio raised concerns over funding sources: “He had money to buy those tiles that were there like a shield. He had money to travel to Florida and apparently sustain himself for some period of time. He had money to find a car. Right now we know it had stolen tags but we don’t know whose car it is or how he got ahold of it. He had money to buy weaponry. These are questions that need answers.”

Rubio stressed vigilance against potential copycat attacks: “As I speak to you now—and I say this with no great joy—there are potentially dozens of people out there that given opportunity may do exactly same thing watch sort coverage about try replicate somewhere down line."

Discussing rising violence from Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua Rubio warned: "I believe I'm first person here Washington maybe American politics warned about all way back January February year reason why Venezuelan migrants telling me about originated prison inside Venezuela then spread Ecuador Chile Peru Colombia neighboring countries basically joined up other gangs conduct operations particularly targeting migrant communities those countries."

Rubio elaborated on their presence in U.S.: "It inevitable matter time before joined migratory flow entered United States now seeing communities following same patterns follow places murder hire extortion human trafficking drug running basically criminal organization very violent one members coming into United States because there's more money steal here more people go after here."

He concluded by highlighting skepticism initially faced raising issue now playing real-time unexpected locations such Aurora Colorado previously seen New York Chicago expecting continue spread wherever targets opportunity particularly liking target migrant communities crimes spreading beyond purse snatching anything else make money off.