Guy Ciarrocchi: Marco Rubio gets it

Marco Rubio gets me. Of all the members of President Trump’s cabinet, all the GOP leaders — especially when talking to legacy media or answering inane questions from progressive members of Congress — he speaks for me. 

Secretary of State Rubio is not only effectively representing the United States, his remarks offer moral clarity, decisiveness and thoughtfulness. More importantly, he embodies the marriage of the MAGA agenda and conservative values — a bridge to old-school Republicans.

During a recent Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing discussing the administration’s deporting of Kilmer Abrego Garcia — the MS-13 member with a record of spousal abuse — Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland attempted to lecture Rubio about the treatment of Garcia. The left’s Orwellian-named “Maryland man.”

Rubio’s reply to Van Hollen: “We deported gang members — gang members — including the one you had a margarita with. And that guy is a human trafficker, and that guy is a gang banger.”

Van Hollen: “I regret voting for you as Secretary of State.”

Rubio: “[that] confirms that I’m doing a good job.”

Boom. Rubio speaks for so many of us.

The days of Republicans being polite, genteel, punching bags — allowing Democrats to pontificate, virtue-signal and create their own moral high ground — are over. The days of trying to answer the biased, misleading premises of reporters’ questions are over. We are no longer going to be the piñata at the left’s kids party.

Recently on WPHT 1210, the hosts were discussing whether Rubio’s appearances before Congress represented his genuine thoughts or whether he was playing to the Trump crowd. I’m firmly convinced that he is speaking from his heart — his 2025 heart — and his head. 

This is not the Marco Rubio of 2016. It’s 2025. A lot has taken place in our culture, the world and in our politics. Since 2016, those who care about important issues, values, and America have changed, too. Rubio’s evolution in tone and substance, his demeanor, and even his confidence perfectly embody the evolution of many Republicans who have become ambassadors of the Trump revolution.

Like it or not, Trump did the GOP and the nation a service by being candid and direct. Some mistakenly think that the take-away from Trump’s communication style is to be confrontational, angry, or personally attack opponents or reporters as if it was sport. Wrong.

The take-away is being who you are. That means being direct, being confident in what you’re saying, and most of all pushing back — using the opportunity to speak for those whose voices were not being heard.

American values and institutions — and, yes, American greatness — are under attack by Democratic leaders, left-wing special interest groups, higher education and the legacy media. 

For many years, the GOP relied on conservative policy principles, arguing thoughtfully in logic, facts, and data. We thought we’d carry the day if we showed voters how much we knew, expecting the media to care about our thoughtfulness.

But Americans understood — long before the politicians in Washington — that America’s culture and values and America itself were being purposely attacked. The American people were desperately waiting for someone to recognize it. Some had even stopped voting.

Donald Trump got it. “I was elected to be president of Pittsburgh not Paris.” 

Most Americans believed that the DC Democrats, Hollywood, higher education, and the legacy media had entered into an alliance — an “oligarchy,” if you will — seeking power and micro-managing our lives. There was an inside joke and traditional America was the target.

In 2018, then-Senator Rubio was among the bipartisan “Gang of Eight” trying to fix our broken immigration system and porous border. A respected conservative, son of Cuban immigrants, he tried the traditional process, hoping to find meaningful consensus, believing that everyone was an honest broker. 

Well, 12 million illegal immigrants later. Countless states and cities offering drivers’ licenses to illegal immigrants; California and New York City allowing non-citizens to vote in local elections; free health care, housing, education, and cell-phones for those who came illegally; and Democrats racing to court to prevent illegal immigrants from being deported — or even demanding that those deported be brought back. 

This Rubio is not the 2018 version. 

None of us paying attention are the 2018 version.

Trump showed conservatives that it was time to say what was obvious. To say what we said privately at Republican meetings, over a beer, or what we said in our living room: the media was assaulting not only the Republican Party, but America. President Trump called it out.

I often say that most Republicans (and a few Democrats) speak using the Crayola crayon box with 64 colors — offering nuance, trusting the public can see the picture, hoping not to offend. Trump uses the pack of four colors that you get at a restaurant. He sees things as right or wrong; sensible or not; helpful to America or not. 

And he’s not the only one. We hear it in the decisive words and actions of Governor Ron Desantis in Florida and in JD Vance’s famous: “I don’t care Martha” — responding to the silliness of the CBS anchor’s biased commentary posing as a question.

The days of Republicans accepting our role as gracious losers — the polite 47 percent — are over.

Trump gets it. And Rubio says it in a way the Trump/Republican coalition can embrace:

“If my house was on fire, I can’t compromise about which part of the house I’m going to save. You save the whole house or it will all burn down. We either save this country or we do not.”

It’s not about Trump. It’s not about Rubio. It’s about us. Fight. Fight. Fight.

Guy Ciarrocchi is a Senior Fellow with the Commonwealth Foundation. He writes for Broad + Liberty and RealClear Pennsylvania. Follow Guy at @PaSuburbsGuy.