Florida GOP Sen. Marco Rubio told The Daily Caller Monday that President Obama made a mistake by not sending a top administration official to Paris over the weekend to join with other world leaders in marching against recent terrorism by Islamic extremists.
“I thought it was a mistake not to send some high-ranking American official,” Rubio told TheDC.
More than 40 heads of state and government participated in the weekend rally against the recent spate of terrorism in France, where Islamic terrorists slaughtered journalists, police officers and other civilians in several attacks last week.
While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, British Prime Minister David Cameron, French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel all took part in the rally — attended by more than one million people — the United States was just represented by its ambassador to France.
Attorney General Eric Holder was in Paris over the weekend, but did not attend. Secretary of State John Kerry said he could not make the weekend trip, though he now has plans to travel to the country this week.
Rubio says he understands the security concerns that may have stopped Obama from attending himself, but said the president could have sent someone else.
Asked by TheDC if he would have gone if he were president, Rubio said: “Obviously, there are real security [concerns]. Anytime the president comes in anywhere, they bring with him this huge apparatus that’s disruptive. So I understand why the president said he couldn’t go because of that.”
“But then he could have sent the vice president, Eric Holder was in Paris — he could’ve gone — he could have sent a former president to go, he could have sent the secretary of state,” Rubio argued in the interview.
Rubio, a potential Republican candidate for president in 2016, is spending the week promoting his new book, “American Dreams: Restoring Economic Opportunity For Everyone,” which comes out Tuesday.
Check back later for more on The Daily Caller’s interview with Rubio about his book and the 2016 presidential race.