It seems some Republicans are so incapable of substantive critiques of Democrats that they're choosing instead to cling to anti-Democrat propaganda narratives even if they make no sense whatsoever.
That seems to be the strategy Republican Florida Senator Marco Rubio is going with. At a recent campaign event, Rubio attempted to slam his Democratic midterm opponent, Rep. Val Demings, by trotting out a favorite Republican smear: He claimed Demings is anti-police.
There's just one problem, though: before she went into politics, Demings was a police chief. So Rubio's very ham-fisted choice of strategies seems to have blown up in his face, especially after Demings let him absolutely have it in a campaign appearance shortly afterwards.
The Marco consultants who thought it was a good idea to go after Val on cop issues made a really wrong call.\n\n"Senate candidate and former cop Val Demings goes after Rubio. Says she dealt with danger \u2018while Marco Rubio was home in his bed sleeping.\u2019 "https://www.orlandosentinel.com/politics/fl-ne-val-demings-senate-south-florida-voting-blocs-20220126-mi2ae5emsbgzpg367itngipzey-story.html\u00a0\u2026— Scott Maxwell (@Scott Maxwell) 1643280865
Rubio made his comments during an appearance on Fox News, shortly after a recent campaign event in which he nabbed the endorsement of several of Florida's police organizations.
In his comments, Rubio claimed Demings' frequent acknowledgement of problematic race relations on many police forces, particularly in the aftermath of the 2020 murder of George Floyd by police, was a ploy to curry favor with the 2020 campaign of Democratic President Joe Biden in hopes he would choose her as his running mate.
Rubio went on to melodramatically say:
"When someone uses their former service in uniform with a badge as the foundation to give them the credibility to say these things, it’s incredibly damaging."
It's a bold move coming from someone like Rubio, who has no record of police or military service—especially against someone like Demings, whose didn't exactly take a light touch during her tenure as Orlando Police Chief.
And during a campaign stop in Davie, Florida, Demings lit Rubio right up for his comments.
“For him to suggest—the lifelong politician Marco Rubio—that I have turned my back on the men and women that I—while Marco Rubio was home in his bed sleeping—that I helped to go respond to some dark, scary places, dealing with some dark, dangerous people, scary people, for him to suggest that I turned my back on law enforcement is just an indication of how desperate he is."
On Twitter, Demings' clap back at Rubio definitely resonated.
Val has more courage & strength in her little pinky finger than Spineless has in his entire body! She is a proven, dedicated, & beloved public servant! Go Val! You got this! @RepValDemings— Sarah Zhou \ud83e\udd8b\ud83c\udf3b (@Sarah Zhou \ud83e\udd8b\ud83c\udf3b) 1643304613
Val Demings was actually IN law enforcement. And she doesn't spout out a random bible verse when the questions get too hard, either. She answers the questions.— Why won't it just DIE?! (@Why won't it just DIE?!) 1643376468
Actually, @marcorubio was living in a house that was a hub in a major cocaine dealership while Val Deming faced danger as a cop.\n\nhttps://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/marco-rubios-ties-to-a-drug-smuggling-brother-in-law-were-closer-than-advertised-8873774\u00a0\u2026https://twitter.com/scott_maxwell/status/1486653818716700688\u00a0\u2026— Grant Stern is boosted! (@Grant Stern is boosted!) 1643341664
@valdemings will have Marco for breakfast at International House of Pancakes.— Maria Jos\u00e9 Figueired (@Maria Jos\u00e9 Figueired) 1643323692
Ohh little Marco aren\u2019t you running against a former police chief in @valdemings? I think she know a little more about handling and rehabilitating criminals than you!— Lourin Hubbard For Congress- CA 22nd (@Lourin Hubbard For Congress- CA 22nd) 1643088196
I, a Florida registered voter, endorse @valdemings. Former Chief of the Orlando Police Department, who served 27 years!!!!\n\n I will trust her over all 55 of those sheriffs combined!!— spacexx08 (@spacexx08) 1643049112
Marco Rubio has made it clear that he only supports things he thinks are politically benefitial to him until he thinks it isn't, which explains why he's been silent in defense of the police officers who were violently attacked during the Trumpista terrorist attack on our Capitol.— Chris Wills (@Chris Wills) 1643041478
Rubio is LITERALLY using the police as political props \n\nRubio is SCARED of Val Demings— Jonathan Jewel (@Jonathan Jewel) 1643041853
hmmm....wonder what Rubio would do? my guess run from any fight. he is weak. has no spine and is merely a trump sycophant.— renata strok (@renata strok) 1643378769
You mean just like Trump, GOP Lawmakers & Allies weren't "Nice" to Cops on 1/6 & Trump sat for 187 min. watching his Insurrectionists brutally beat cops & did nothing? @marcorubio \n\nMarco Rubio attacks former police chief for not being nice enough to copshttps://www.rawstory.com/marco-rubio-val-demings-police/\u00a0\u2026— Paul Zismo \ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\udf0e\ud83c\udf0a (@Paul Zismo \ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\udf0e\ud83c\udf0a) 1643331031
.@valdemings is living rent free in Little Marco's head.https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/fl-ne-val-demings-senate-south-florida-voting-blocs-20220126-mi2ae5emsbgzpg367itngipzey-story.html\u00a0\u2026— Zack Carroll (@Zack Carroll) 1643241497
Rubio has been polling well ahead of Demings since the campaigns began, but the race has not been polled since November. Whether Rubio's gaffe and Demings' clapback will have an impact on the race remains to be seen, but Demings told her campaign audience in Davie that his most recent attack shows Rubio "knows he’s in trouble."
