Marco Rubio is attacked by Val Demings during a Florida Senate debate

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, a Republican, and U.S. Rep. Val Demings, a Democrat, shake hands before a televised debate on Tuesday at Duncan Theater on the campus of Palm Beach State College. caption Thomas Cordy/AP hide

switch to caption Author: Thomas Cordy Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and U.S. Rep. Val Demings, his Democratic opponent, shake hands before a televised debate on Tuesday at Duncan Theater on the campus of Palm Beach State College.

Author: Thomas Cordy MIAMI — Democratic U.S. Rep. Val Demings of Florida attacked Republican Sen. Marco Rubio in their first debate on Tuesday, branding him a “serial liar,” while Rubio chastised her for endorsing President Joe Biden’s economic platform.

At the debate in Lake Worth, Rubio, a two-term senator, and Demings, a three-term congresswoman and former chief of police of Orlando, were quizzed on issues like inflation, abortion, voting rights, gun violence, immigration, and foreign policy.

In recent elections, Florida has drifted more to the right, giving Rubio the advantage since Republicans currently outnumber Democrats in voter registration. But Demings made it apparent that she regarded the debate as a chance to confront Rubio head-on as she seeks to become the state’s first Black senator.

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By referring to Demings’ viewpoint as radical because she would not specify what restrictions on abortion she would support, Rubio sidestepped a question on whether he would support a federal abortion ban with no exceptions.

Every abortion-related bill that I have ever proposed and supported contains exceptions, according to Rubio.

Demings retorted, “What we know is that the senator favors no exceptions.” He is capable of making his mouth utter whatever nowadays. By the way, he excels at that. What is Marco Rubio saying today and what day is it?

After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, Rubio stated his personal opposition to abortion in all circumstances and said he would support laws banning abortion with exceptions. Demings believes that women should have access to abortions at least up until fetal viability and believes that the government shouldn’t make that decision.

Regarding gun control, Demings charged Rubio with not doing enough to amend the law to stop massacres, such as the mass killings that occurred at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando in 2016 and the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland in 2018.

How long will you stand by while people are shot and killed in kindergarten, grade four, high school, college, a church, synagogue, a grocery shop, a movie theater, a mall, and a nightclub? stated Demings.

Rubio said that Americans have a Second Amendment right to self-defense and that various gun control plans would not have prevented many horrific massacres.

Rubio asserted that “what she is for would have done nothing to stop any of those shootings.” Every single one of these shooters would have passed the background investigation that she insistences on. Nobody in this room supports violence and mass shootings.

Democrats are losing Latino voters in elections, which might be crucial for midterm elections. Losing Latino voters could be crucial for midterm elections as Democrats are losing them. I frame with a src of “https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1129542416/1129542417” ‘width=100%’, ‘height=290’, and ‘frameborder=0′ scrolling=’no’ Transcript of the NPR embedded audio player

Rubio stated that in order to combat inflation, the United States must cut back on spending and increase domestic oil production. He cited various pandemic relief monies as examples. He criticized the Biden administration for deciding to release more oil from the strategic reserve of the United States in an effort to lower gas costs.

Rubio added, “Oil reserves do not exist to win midterm elections.”
Demings claimed that in order to relieve hurting individuals and businesses, money for pandemic relief was required.

Demings retorted, “Of course the senator would know nothing about assisting people and being there for people when they are in distress. The senator has never run anything but his mouth.”

Rubio also criticized Demings for failing to pass legislation in Washington, claiming her only accomplishment was to name post offices after people. Demings rebuffed him aggressively, pointing out that the structures bore the names of police officers who had died in the line of duty.

It’s embarrassing that you believe renaming a federal facility after someone who served as a hero is nothing, she remarked.
Demings charged Rubio with misrepresenting her record and views on various matters.
She remarked, “Marco Rubio, I am so disappointed in you because I think there was a period when you did not lie to win.”

Rubio, who described himself as the most successful senator, insisted that Demings was only there to further the goals of Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

No U.S. senator has accomplished more over my two terms than I have, he claimed. “She only votes 100 percent with Pelosi,” someone once said.
Rubio responded, “Sure, because I’m going to win,” when asked if he would accept the results of the 2022 election.

Later, he stated, “I’ll support it regardless of the outcome because Florida has solid laws. These laws are not as absurd as those in Pennsylvania and these other states.