Marco Rubio made his criticism of Rand Paul plain on Thursday night.
On Friday, Paul fired back with the same frankness.
Responding to Paul’s qualified support of President Obama’s plan to roll back the embargo on Cuba, the Florida senator essentially called his fellow Republican clueless.
“Like many people who have been opining, he has no idea what he’s talking about,” Rubio said on FOX News’ “The Kelly File.” Rubio explained that the Cuban embargo “has a bunch of holes in it” and is not responsible for the Cuban people’s plight.
“What’s hurting the Cuban people is not the embargo. What’s hurting the Cuban people is the Cuban government.”
For example, Rubio compared the Cuban and Venezuelan governments, saying they both have adopted “radical, socialist” policies, and both their peoples are deprived. The difference: The U.S. has maintained an embargo on Cuba, but not one on Venezuela.
“I expect people would understand that if they just took a moment to analyze that, they would realize that the embargo is not what’s hurting the Cuban people,” he continued. “It’s the lack of freedom, and the lack of competent leaders.”
Earlier Thursday, Paul told a West Virginia radio station that there is merit to the president’s idea of opening up trade with Cuba and loosening decades-old restrictions on its government.
He defended himself against Rubio’s criticism a day later with a touch of sarcasm: “Senator [Rubio] is acting like an isolationist who wants to retreat to our borders and perhaps build a moat. I reject this isolationism,” Paul tweeted Friday.
Hey @marcorubio if the embargo doesn’t hurt Cuba, why do you want to keep it?
— Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) December 19, 2014
Senator @marcorubio is acting like an isolationist who wants to retreat to our borders and perhaps build a moat. I reject this isolationism.
— Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) December 19, 2014
The United States trades and engages with other communist nations, such as China and Vietnam. So @marcorubio why not Cuba?
— Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) December 19, 2014
.@marcorubio what about the majority of Cuban-Americans who now support normalizing relations between our countries? http://t.co/0qhSOeD9Va
— Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) December 19, 2014
Rubio hadn’t responded as of 1 p.m.
Unlike Rubio’s take on the embargo, Paul added Thursday that “it punishes the people more than the regime, because the regime can blame the embargo for hardship.”
His stance has him on an island within the GOP. Rubio’s critical take is shared by the likes of Speaker John Boehner and a host of possible presidential candidates, including former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Sen. Ted Cruz.
Rubio, himself, is a potential 2016 contender — and Paul rival — but Bush’s initial entry into the race could crowd out the Florida senator.
This story has been updated.
