MSNBC anchor Stephanie Ruhle told Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) to “step up and be a human” on the issue of guns following Wednesday’s mass shooting at a South Florida high school that left at least 17 people dead.

Ruhle’s comment on Thursday came as “Morning Joe” co-hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough were handing off to “Velshi & Ruhle,” a mid-morning news program co-anchored by Ruhle and Ali Velshi.  

“There are too many bodies in the wake of this conversation that we can’t have at this appropriate time,” Brzezinski said in wrapping up her program. “I’d say to Marco Rubio, step up, be a man, talk about it right now.

{mosads}”Or to anybody else who tries to deflect the question about what to do about guns and assault weapons in our society, step up, be a man and talk about it and stop thinking about the NRA and your next campaign donation,” Brzezisnki continued while looking directly into the camera. “Just stop. Everyone knows what you’re doing. And it’s time.”

She then handed off to Ruhle, who said: “Thanks so much, Mika. Thanks Joe. And to Marco Rubio, you don’t have to step up and be a man, step up and be a human.”

Rubio warned on Wednesday after the shooting that “people still don’t know how” the shooting occurred at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., or how the shooter was able to obtain the weapon he used to kill 17 people and injure more than a dozen.

“I think it’s important to know all of that before you jump to conclusions that there was some law that we could have passed that would have prevented it. And there may be, but shouldn’t we at least know the facts?” Rubio told Fox News.

Rubio, a 2016 presidential candidate and Florida senator since 2011, added the time wasn’t appropriate for lawmakers to use the shooting as an opportunity to demand strengthened gun control.