Marco Rubio Advised to Drop out Before Florida Primary
Some of Marco Rubio's advisors are telling the reeling Florida senator to drop out of 2016 Republican race for president before primary voters can take to the polls in his own state early next week, according to CNN sources.
Though Rubio remains "bullish" about his chances of overtaking GOP front-runner Donald Trump in the Sunshine State, several of his advisers are rumored to be much less optimistic. They reportedly fear a loss on Rubio's home turf could gravely harm him down the line, should he decide to run for Florida governor in 2018.
"He doesn't want to get killed in his home state," one source familiar with the discussions taking place within his inner circle admitted, adding, "A poor showing would be a risk and hurt his political future."
Rubio Campaign Denies Reports of Friction
While Rubio's campaign manager Alex Conant staunchly shot down the report as "100 percent false," the reality is things have gone far from planned for the Florida Senator. Thus far, Rubio has won just two primaries, Puerto Rico and Minnesota, while Trump has claimed 12 states.
"That is fiction," Conant told CNN of rumors of friction within the campaign. "I was sitting in a senior staff meeting planning out next week's schedule when I saw this report suddenly air and I came racing across town to correct it."
A Monmouth poll released earlier this week showed Rubio trailing Trump 38 to 30 percent in Florida, a vast improvement from the Quinnipiac poll from two weeks ago that showed him down 44 to 28 percent.
Rubio Falls Flat Once More
Rubio's woes continued on March 8, when Trump bagged wins in Michigan, Mississippi and Hawaii, while the Florida senator again lagged far behind, placing third and fourth in the races.
Still, some within Rubio's campaign envision a much better showing than expected in Florida and are imploring him to fight on.
One potential x-factor could be the sought after endorsement of former rival and onetime Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. The two have spoken at least three times since Bush formally dropped out of the race last month.
Rubio also could be aided by public support from former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. The 2012 GOP nominee recently let it be known that he is far from a Trump fan, blistering the candidate in an attack many predict will be repeated as the general election grows nearer.
A source close to the former governor even adds that he may be holding open the possibility of stepping forward as a savior candidate for the party, should a brokered convention emerge as the only option to stop Trump from securing the nomination and becoming the official face of the party.
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