Marco Rubio, the one-time co-sponsor of the Senate's "Gang of Eight" bill on immigration, said Friday that there is "no support in America" for a comprehensive approach on immigration and rejected criticism from other candidates that he "cut and run" on the legislation because it wasn't popular among conservatives.
"The president shouldn't be ramming down the throats of the American people something they don't want through executive orders," the Florida Republican senator and GOP presidential candidate told Fox News'
"America's Newsroom" program.
"This issue of what do you do with the people in this country illegally," Rubio continued. "I said we won't round up and deport 12 million people. This is as reasonable and compassionate country. Nothing is going to happen on immigration until illegal immigration is brought under control."
But the issue isn't about his changing his mind, Rubio said, but instead because "that approach has no chance of passing. Why will we bang our head on an approach that won't work? I think it's harder to do it now than ever."
And while Rubio squared off Thursday night with
rival candidates Ted Cruz and Jeb Bush, he said Friday that the arguments weren't about either one of them.
"It was a chance to answer questions so people could see what I would do as president of the United States," said Rubio. "When it comes to Ted, he built the campaign on a false notion that he's the only true conservative. That's absurd. Ted on immigration used to support legalizing people here illegally.
"He helped design George W. Bush's immigration approach which had a path to citizenship. This is a complicated issue on immigration. Everybody on that stage dealt with it in different ways at different times. We are going to enforce our immigration laws."
Rubio said he feels positive against Cruz in Iowa, and considers him his main competition.
"Ted happens to put a lot of money and people into Iowa," said Rubio. "I'm going off what Ted Cruz's campaign was saying a few weeks ago. Obviously, we'll see Monday night."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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