Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., praised President Trump on Monday for his work addressing China, Venezuela, and Cuba, and thanked the president for being a “champion of the cause for freedom and democracy.”
Rubio appeared alongside Trump during a roundtable with small businesses in Hialeah, Fla., where they discussed tax reform.
“I think I would be remiss if I first didn’t thank you for being a champion of the cause for freedom and democracy in this hemisphere,” Rubio said. “That was very clear this weekend with the vice president’s presence at the Summit of the Americas. Whether it’s on Cuba or on Venezuela, the United States has led the way in fighting for freedom.”
Rubio also praised Trump for hiring John Bolton, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, as his national security adviser. Bolton replaced H.R. McMaster, who left the White House this month.
“The day he was hired was a bad day for Maduro and Castro, and a great day for the cause of freedom,” the Florida senator said of Bolton, referencing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Cuban President Raul Castro.
Rubio went on to applaud Trump for “fighting for the American worker” through the GOP’s tax bill and targeting of intellectual property theft by China.
“You’re finally doing what I wish previous administrations had done,” he said. “You’re taking on the cheating and the stealing that the Chinese have committed against our economy for the better part of 30 years.”
Rubio and Trump frequently traded barbs during the 2016 presidential election. The president repeatedly referred to Rubio as “Little Marco,” while Rubio called Trump “dangerous” and a “con man.”
During one rally in February 2016, Rubio jabbed Trump’s “small hands” and suggested he gets a spray tan.
Since Trump was elected president, though, the two seem to have reconciled. During the roundtable Monday, Trump called Rubio a “great friend.”
