Marco Rubio totally isn't still mad about that debate where Chris Christie annihilated him
Saul Martinez/Getty Images, Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
- Marco Rubio is still smarting from Chris Christie's blows during a 2016 GOP debate.
- Rubio said the debate "sucked" in a tweet on Tuesday night.
- Christie had blasted him in the debate for memorizing and delivering pre-written speeches.
It's been a good seven years since the 2016 GOP primary debate, but it appears that Sen. Marco Rubio has still not forgiven Chris Christie for ridiculing him on TV.
Rubio took a walk down memory lane on Tuesday night when he tweeted: "Any political reporter/commentator claiming Christie 'ended' my campaign in 2016 is lazy or dumb."
He wrote that during the February 2016 debate held in New Hampshire, "sucked," because he did not manage to hit back at Christie and instead had to pivot to another topic.
—Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) June 6, 2023
However, seven years on, Rubio was still proud of the fact that he "finished 2nd" in South Carolina and Nevada, "won 3 primaries," and "finished with the 3rd most delegates behind Trumps historic campaign," as he wrote in his tweet.
During the iconic debate in 2016, the duo had a heated exchange. During the back-and-forth, Rubio attempted to drag Christie, arguing that under Christie's governorship, New Jersey's credit rating had been downgraded.
"This country already has a debt problem. We don't need to add to it by electing someone who has experience at running up and destroying the credit rating of his state," Rubio said.
Rubio then launched enthusiastically into what sounded like a pre-written speech about how he would once again make the US "the single greatest nation in the history of the world."
Christie blasted Rubio in return, saying: "When you're president of the United States, when you're governor of a state, the memorized 30-second speech where you talk about how great America is at the end of it, doesn't solve one problem for one person. They expect you to plow the snow."
Debates have, historically, been rough for Rubio. He separately received a tongue lashing from former President Donald Trump in March 2016, where Trump branded him with the nickname "little Marco."
Rubio's tweet came just as Christie announced his run for the Republican nomination of the 2024 Presidential Elections on Wednesday, going up against his former-ally-turned-foe, Trump.
Representatives of Christie and Rubio did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment sent outside regular business hours.