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Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio lashed out at Democratic Representative Val Demings after she won her primary, ensuring she will be his opposition on the ballot for this year's midterm elections.
Rubio suggested Demings—who has served as the Representative from Florida's 10th congressional district since 2017—doesn't actually spend time in Washington and instead chooses to vote from home in "her pajamas."
The problem?
Rubio has one of the worst attendance records in the Senate. His accusations were seen as little more than projection.
You can hear what he said in the video below.
\u201cSen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) \u2014 who has one of the worst attendance records in the Senate, missing more than 9% of all votes \u2014 attacks his opponent Val Demings (D) for voting \u201cfrom her pajamas.\u201d\u201d— The Recount (@The Recount) 1661305464
Rubio said:
"Even the House of Representatives have become a work from home place. You know that my opponent, Val Demings, how many times she's voted from her pajamas or wherever she was wearing?"
"Because they have this thing called proxy voting. She can be anywhere on the planet."
Rubio also took the opportunity to attack Florida Democratic gubernatorial nominee Charlie Crist before continuing to criticize Demings:
"The nominee—appears to be the next nominee for Florida Governor for the Democrats, Charlie Crist.He was once a Republican and he ran as an independent, and as a vegetarian."
"Now he's, you know, a Democrat. Charlie Crist. He hasn't even I don't even think he's been in Washington for a year."
"They can vote remotely. They can work remotely. You can't work remotely."
Rubio has defended his terrible Senate attendance record for years.
For example, shortly after he announced his 2016 presidential campaign, The Guardiannoted he missed 42 percent of his votes since declaring his candidacy. Rubio dismissed criticisms about his work ethic, saying voting "is not the only part of the Senate job.”
Interestingly, many of the criticisms about his Senate attendance record came from voices on the right, including Donald Trump who at the time was the Republican frontrunner.
Trump, for instance, declared Rubio “has the worst voting record in the United States Senate” and disparaged him as "lazy."
Rubio has been harshly criticized for his remarks about Demings.
\u201c@Cande_shop @maureenfox @tizzywoman @jhadleyconrad I will take Val Deming\u2019s record over Marco Rubio\u2019s any day of the week.\u201d— Justice Seeker \ud83d\uddfd \u262e\ufe0f ~ Keep moving forward (@Justice Seeker \ud83d\uddfd \u262e\ufe0f ~ Keep moving forward) 1637251374
\u201c@MSNBC @MaddowBlog This is my theory, Rubio does not want to be a senator and it shows. Unfortunately, he keeps getting elected. The last time he ran his record for showing up to vote was the worst now when he shows up he votes NO even if the bill will help Florida. I pray Val Deming wins!\u201d— MSNBC (@MSNBC) 1659322982
\u201c@FlaWolffie We all deserve a U.S. Senator better than Rubio. Val has lots of good ideas and has a voting record to prove she is for the working people, for women, for civil rights, and for the law. America needs Val Deming.\u201d— Ellen Wolfe (@Ellen Wolfe) 1640973946
\u201c@jennobenno @valdemings Ms. Deming's has a long record of true leadership in law enforcement, as well as the last few years in Congress.\n\nUnlike Marco Rubio, she will not cut the much needed benefits to our elderly, disabled, the working & middle class in order to subsidize the most wealthy Americans\u201d— Jennifer Bennon (@Jennifer Bennon) 1651150580
\u201cMarco whining about his job the other day (before his minions deleted the tweet):\u201d— Tristan Snell (@Tristan Snell) 1661305983
\u201cMarco wanted to quit\nIt was Trump who pushed him to run again 6 years ago.\nDeming will send Rubio home\nWe need to defeat Dicktator Desantis too\u201d— Ike (@Ike) 1661382935
Rubio's attacks against Demings came after she vowed in a speech to her supporters she would defend constitutional rights such as "a woman's right to choose."
She added:
"I've said it along this campaign trail, let me say it again: We're not going back. We're not."
"There are women and men and people of all races and ages, who suffered, bled, and died for us to have the constitutional rights that we enjoy. We're not going back to being treated like second class citizens."
"We're not going back to being treated like property. We will continue to fight and fight and fight some more for a woman's right to choose."
"Do you believe in that, America?"
Demings officially announced her candidacy for the Democratic nomination in Florida's 2022 United States Senate election last summer. A campaign head described her as "fierce, strong, tough, she's no-nonsense, she tells it like it is."
Her campaign has leaned into her long career in law enforcement to attract voters who might otherwise have been on the fence about her candidacy.
Demings was the first woman appointed chief of the Orlando Police Department, a position she retired from in 2011.