Clinton takes aim at Rubio in Florida rally

by Mallory Shelbourne - 10/25/16 4:42 PM ET

Hillary Clinton on Tuesday used Donald Trump as a cudgel to hammer Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), accusing the vulnerable senator of being afraid to stand up to Trump.

{mosads}Speaking at a rally in Coconut Creek, Fla., Clinton ripped Rubio for a number of his positions and stumped for his Democratic challenger, Rep. Patrick Murphy.

Without using Rubio’s name, Clinton accused him of backing down to Trump, the GOP presidential nominee.

“Unlike his opponent, Patrick Murphy has never been afraid to stand up to Donald Trump,” she said.

Clinton, the Democratic nominee, also targeted Rubio on climate change and immigration reform.

“You deserve also a senator who actually believes climate change is real, as opposed to someone who every time he’s asked, says, ‘Well, I’m not a scientist,’ ” she said.

Murphy, who introduced Clinton at the rally, has repeatedly gone after Rubio for his position on climate change throughout the race.

The event’s focus on bashing Rubio was surprising after Clinton communications director Jennifer Palmieri told reporters before the rally to expect Clinton “to talk a lot about Patrick Murphy.”

Clinton, who leads Trump nationally by more than 5 points in the RealClearPolitics polling average, has turned her focus in recent campaign events to Senate races, stumping for Democratic candidates in Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and North Carolina.

If she wins the White House, Democrats would need to flip four Senate seats to take control of the chamber.

Rubio is leading Murphy by just over 3 points, according to the polling average.

Rubio press secretary Olivia Perez-Cubas on Tuesday responded to Clinton’s criticisms, telling The Hill that Murphy has nothing to show for his four years serving in Congress.

“Marco is the only candidate who will act as a check and balance on the next president, regardless of who that may be,” she said.

Tags Donald Trump Hillary Clinton Marco Rubio