On Thursday, Donald Trump spoke to press about his "perfect" call with the President of Ukraine and added another country to his repertoire of nations he is trying to get to investigate Joe Biden:
"And by the way, likewise China should start an investigation into the Bidens."
Pres. Trump urges China to investigate his political rival Joe Biden and his son—even as he faces an impeachment in… https://t.co/smtb5nrMiz— ABC News (@ABC News) 1570120645.0
When asked about the statement on Friday, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) explained away Trump's request that China investigate one of his top Democratic rivals in the 2020 presidential campaign by claiming that...it wasn't actually a real request.
"I don't know if that's a real request or him just needling the press knowing that you guys were gonna get outraged by it. He's pretty good at getting everyone fired up and he's been doing that for a while, and the media responded right on task.""I think he did it to dig you guys, I think he did it to provoke you to ask me and others and get outraged by it. Like I said, he plays it like a violin and everybody falls right into it. But that's not a real request."
Watch his response below:
False alarm, everyone. Trump didn't try to secretly conspire with foreign countries because he actually *wanted* th… https://t.co/HsarORjKiI— Brian Tyler Cohen (@Brian Tyler Cohen) 1570210858.0
Despite Rubio's claim, as this Twitter user points out, China did think it was a real request.
@DeFede @marcorubio @JoeBiden @CBSMiami @MiamiHerald @alextdaugherty @MarcACaputo @PatriciaMazzei The Chinese thoug… https://t.co/rvMEkV3fpn— Jimminy Crickets! (@Jimminy Crickets!) 1570209495.0
Once his response appeared online, "Rubio" started trending on Twitter with people calling Rubio out for this strained and smugly delivered excuse for the President.
Senator Rubio had no problem defending President Trump. https://t.co/nS5f39JFRR— Soledad O'Brien (@Soledad O'Brien) 1570213381.0
@marcorubio, AKA little Marco, how are you defending this man. Remember what he did to you. Put America first. https://t.co/0SrhFxwwAP— Fred Guttenberg (@Fred Guttenberg) 1570214828.0
@DeFede @marcorubio @JoeBiden @CBSMiami @MiamiHerald @alextdaugherty @MarcACaputo @PatriciaMazzei What a coward you… https://t.co/6MRcoFJIxr— Fred Wellman (@Fred Wellman) 1570212688.0
@marcorubio I am disappointed in you for your response to the question about Trump's invoking China to investigate… https://t.co/dNfkCof5V9— John Cummings (@John Cummings) 1570221197.0
People felt Rubio's body language was telling:
@DeFede @marcorubio @JoeBiden @CBSMiami @MiamiHerald @alextdaugherty @MarcACaputo @PatriciaMazzei The body language… https://t.co/tYdB7Wa0OJ— Old Rant Dump (@Old Rant Dump) 1570209645.0