Marco Rubio is sure acting his age.
The Republican senator from Florida officially announced his candidacy for president in 2016 during a speech in Miami Monday, painting himself as a candidate of the “future” in contrast to his older presidential foes like Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush.
“Grounded by the lessons of our history but inspired by the promise of our future, I announce my candidacy for President of the United States,” Rubio, who is 43 years old, declared to an enthusiastic crowd.
The Republican lawmaker characterized the 2016 election as a “generational choice about what kind of country we will be,” particularly targeting the 67-year-old Clinton just 24 hours after her own announcement of her White House bid.
“Just yesterday, a leader from yesterday began a campaign for president by promising to take us back to yesterday,” Rubio said of Clinton. “And we’re never going back. You see, we Americans are proud of our history, but our country has always been about the future.”
Rubio has never shied from knocking Hillary for her age and stale ideas, describing the former secretary of State’s policies as “20th century relics” during an interview earlier this year.
In so targeting Hillary for her age and existence as a leader of “yesterday,” Rubio also in effect placed 62-year-old former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush — a fellow Republican and mentor — in the same camp of candidates and leaders of political dynasties of the past.
“Before us now is the opportunity to author the greatest chapter yet in the amazing story of America,” Rubio affirmed. “But we can’t do that by going back to the leaders and ideas of the past. We must change the decisions we are making by changing the people who are making them.”
Rubio, who will likely be the youngest candidate in the 2016 presidential field, is in a unique position to appeal to Millennial voters ahead of the election.
