Duval Times

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio recently appeared on CNN News to discuss several key topics following President-elect Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 U.S. presidential election. During the interview, Rubio shared his thoughts on immigration law enforcement and foreign policy challenges facing the United States.

Discussing the election outcome, Rubio expressed admiration for how Trump won by reshaping the Republican Party. He noted that Trump's appeal to voters transcended ethnic and racial identities, emphasizing work and daily life as primary concerns for Americans. "What I’m most impressed by is not just the size of the victory," Rubio stated, adding that Trump's win showed that "for voters in the United States of America, their primary identity is not their ethnicity."

Rubio also addressed immigration issues, focusing on criminal activity among migrants. He highlighted concerns from Hispanic communities about living costs and employment opportunities affected by jobs moving overseas. "When these migrants come, and they’re criminals in their own home country...they’re going to these Hispanic neighborhoods," he said.

Regarding a shift among American voters, Rubio suggested that political priorities are changing rapidly. He mentioned Miami-Dade County's transformation over eight years as evidence of this shift. "Nothing is permanent," he said, predicting a future focus on enforcing immigration laws and pragmatic foreign policy.

Rubio outlined Congress's responsibility following the election results: "This is not a college football game where we celebrate because our team won." He emphasized turning campaign messages into public policies beneficial for all Americans.

On enforcing existing immigration laws, Rubio stressed prioritizing deportation of criminals and modernizing legal immigration systems while addressing illegal entries. "The first mass deportation...is criminals," he asserted.

Addressing reports of Russian threats against the U.S., Rubio acknowledged ongoing sabotage operations attributed to Russia but refrained from commenting on classified intelligence details. He indicated these activities could be linked to assisting Ukraine and urged serious attention to such threats.