Marco Rubio, welcome to the Cowardice Caucus. Instead of condemning Donald Trump’s shameless praise for a dictator who is launching an unprovoked attack on Ukrainian civilians, Senator Rubio is the latest Republican who refuses to stand up to the defeated former president and even went so far as to defend his comments. 

When asked about Trump praising Putin as “savvy” and “genius,” Marco Rubio insisted that the defeated former president was simply being sarcastic and refused to condemn his comments. 

Florida Politics: “Marco Rubio says Donald Trump’s praise of Vladimir Putin was just sarcasm”

Sen. Marco Rubio: “I heard that interview, OK? I’m not going off the press reports. I heard the interview. I didn’t hear him say that. I heard what I heard. A guy who was being sarcastic. He was saying, ‘Oh, look at this guy, he’s a genius, this, that and the other.’”

But Rubio isn’t alone in his cowardice. Republican leaders like Sens. Tom Cotton, Josh Hawley, Ted Cruz, Rick Scott, and Gov. Kristi Noem all spent the past week flat-out refusing to condemn Trump’s praise for his favorite dictator. 

ABC News: “GOP Sen. Tom Cotton won’t condemn Trump’s praise of Putin”

CBS News’s Robert Costa: “Should Trump condemn the Russian invasion when he speaks at CPAC tonight? Even out of power, he remains a central figure in many GOP races nationwide. @CBSNews⁩ asked Sen. Rick Scott, head of Sen Rs’ campaign arm. 

‘We all’ should. 

Trump?

‘That’s a decision’ for him.”

Sen. Ted Cruz: 

Sen. Josh Hawley: 

Gov. Kristi Noem: “Q: Do you endorse Trump’s comments on Putin?

NOEM: ‘I don’t think Putin is a dummy. He certainly is a man who has been strategically planning this for years, waiting for an opportunity. President Biden kicked the door open for him…’”

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