Marco Rubio is concerned with the prospect of commander-in-chief Donald Trump.
A day after Trump was tripped up by radio host Hugh Hewitt on a multitude of foreign policy-related questions, Rubio argued that anyone who cannot answer such questions will be unable to serve as commander in chief. The 2016 hopeful also called the real estate mogul’s answers “very concerning.”
During the interview Thursday night, Trump was unable to name who’s who among terror leaders in the Middle East and was unsure of the difference between Hamas and Hezbollah.
“If you don’t know the answer to these questions, then you are not going to be able to serve as commander and chief,” Rubio told CNN Friday.
“This should be part of the reason why you are running because you understand the threats that the world is facing, you have deep understanding and you understand what to do about it,” Rubio added. “And if someone doesn’t, I think it is very concerning.”
The Florida senator also defended the radio host’s questioning of Trump, telling CNN’s Jeff Zeleny that presidential candidates “need to take” foreign policy “seriously.”
“No, I don’t,” Rubio said when asked if he thought Hewitt was asking “gotcha” questions. “National security is the most important obligation of the federal government. If you are going to be a presidential candidate, you need to take this seriously. And I think that is important.”
“It is important to have a detailed understanding of the threats we face as a country,” Rubio said. “You are commander in chief on day number one and you may have to make national security decisions right away. And it takes time and dedication and a natural curiosity and interest in these issues.”
Trump tore into the questioning in both the interview itself and a Friday appearance on “Morning Joe,” during which he called Hewitt a “third-rate radio announcer.”
