Marco Rubio might not be in Cleveland this week, but CNN managed to track him down in Washington Tuesday and involve him in the first major controversy of the 2016 Republican National Convention -- Melania Trump's alleged plagiarism of a Michelle Obama speech.
If Rubio was on the outs with Donald Trump before this CNN interview, most likely he landed in the Donald's good books after it. Few interviewees on the Melania controversy have produced a better or more fitting blow-off of the whole affair.
The Florida senator clearly knows how to handle the press.
"I get why it's a big deal in terms of the internal, inside baseball of political coverage," he told CNN's Jake Tapper on "The Lead." "But I think for the vast majority of Americans, it doesn't really matter one way or the other. ..."
Rubio added that Melania Trump "is not a politician, not a candidate, not in public office of any kind. She is the potential first lady of the United States. As long as her speech reflected how she feels, then that's what really matters," he said.
"This is new to her," he told Tapper. "She did a very good job in a difficult circumstance."
Donald Trump's presidential campaign confirmed Tuesday it hopes to simply move on without addressing further questions about the speech or punish the plagiarist.
Tapper pressed former presidential hopeful Rubio on whether he would be upset if his children plagiarized a term paper in school. Rubio didn't waffle, shaking the question off artfully. "I would, but that's different."
Rubio explained that plagiarism on a term paper would be intentional -- and he doubted Trump's speech was intentionally lifted from Michelle Obama's 2008 convention speech.
Rubio then gave a little insight into how he thought it might have happened. He said he imagined Trump had discussed her background with speechwriters, and then had a member of the campaign help her put the address together -- and he said, even if nobody gets fired over it, he's "sure the Trump campaign is going to be talking to whoever that is."
In case your memory needs refreshing, here is the graph in question from Melania Trump's speech:
"From a young age, my parents impressed on me the values that you work hard for what you want in life: that your word is your bond and you do what you say and keep your promise; that you treat people with respect. They taught and showed me values and morals in their daily life.”
And here is the graph from Obama's 2008 speech.
“And Barack and I were raised with so many of the same values: that you work hard for what you want in life; that your word is your bond and you do what you say you're going to do; that you treat people with dignity and respect, even if you don't know them, and even if you don't agree with them.”
But, back to Rubio for a moment.
Florida's junior senator might have let himself get bested on the presidential debate stage by a New Jersey governor who never came close in a single primary. But ever since he re-emerged from the shadows to claim his Senate seat, Marco Rubio has looked strong, looked confident and, frankly, superior. There may be more than a few Republicans watching him who have deep regrets he's on the sidelines this week.
Reach Nancy Smith at nsmith@sunshinestatenews.com or at 228-282-2423. Twitter: @NancyLBSmith
