Sen. Marco Rubio
Marco Antonio RubioTrump 2024 talk threatens to freeze other GOP hopefuls in place Hillicon Valley: Senate Intelligence Committee leaders warn of Chinese threats to national security | Biden says China must play by 'international norms' | House Democrats use Markup app for leadership contest voting Trump campaigns as wild card in Georgia runoffs MORE (R-Fla.) said in an interview broadcast early Monday that he wants no part of fellow GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump
Donald John TrumpTrump floats a Doug Collins run against Kemp for Georgia governor Defiant Trump insists election was 'rigged' at rally for Georgia Senate Republicans Trump offers condolences to family, friends of Loeffler campaign staffer who died MORE’s media circus.
“I’m not interested in the back-and-forth — to be a member or part of his freak show,” Rubio told host Steve Inskeep on NPR’s “Morning Edition.”
“I would just say this: He is a very sensitive person,” he added of Trump. “He doesn’t like to be criticized. He responds to criticism very poorly.”
Trump has set his sights on Rubio amid rising enthusiasm for the Florida lawmaker.
“He’s got the worst voting record in the United States Senate,” Trump said of Rubio on CNN’s “New Day” last week. “He’s never there, meaning he doesn’t work or he’s too lazy to go back and vote.
“He shouldn’t even be running in this race, as far as I’m concerned,” Trump added. “He’s a kid.”
Trump remains the front-runner for next year’s Republican presidential coronation across multiple national polls.
His lead is shrinking, however, as other candidates gain more media attention and refine their own campaign messages.
Rubio presently places fourth in the GOP field with 9.6 percent voter support, according to the latest RealClearPolitics average of polls.
