Marco Rubio, a top contender to be Donald Trump’s running mate, made an appearance at the former president’s 78th birthday bash Friday, where the recently convicted felon was presented with a six-tier MAGA-theme cake and showered with red and blue balloons.
The event, at a convention center in West Palm Beach, marked Rubio’s first appearance on the campaign trail since rumors started swirling that he might get the VP nod. He stuck largely to the Trump campaign script, slamming President Joe Biden’s border policies and praising Trump for his service and commitment.
“We now have terrorists, criminals and drugs entering our country across the open border, and he invited them to enter the United States,” Rubio said, according to CBS.
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He later added that the “best gift” supporters could give Trump for his birthday would be to “go out and win this election so he can go back in the White House so he can save our country,” according to Florida Politics.
Trump also hammered home familiar points, including taking digs at his opponent’s age. Biden is 82, just four years older than Trump, and both men would be the oldest presidents ever to take office.
The event was attended by members of “Club 47” a Palm Beach-based Trump fan club, and tickets ranged from $25 and $60. All 5,000 tickets sold out, Club 47 President Larry Snowden told the Associated Press. Trump declared it “the biggest birthday party I’ve ever had by far.”
The former president’s cake featured fondant illustrations of him in the Oval Office and on the golf course, as well as a giant American flag and some of his signature gold picture frames. It was topped with a red MAGA baseball cap.
Other attendees at the party included Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida and Trump’s only living sibling, Elizabeth Trump. Other Congressional Republicans—including Sen. Mitch McConnell—feted him Thursday at the Capitol with cake and a rendition of “Happy Birthday” in a closed-door meeting, according to the AP.
Aside from attending the birthday party, Rubio this week also defended Trump’s previous comments on immigration to Spanish language channel Telemundo, saying his comments about “poisoning the blood of our country” were not really about race.
“There have been Hispanics in his Cabinet, or rather, on his staff,” he said, according to CBS. “As the press mentions, he's considering one as his vice presidential running mate.”
Rubio’s attendance at Trump’s birthday is in stark contrast to his previous public comments on him. Trump notoriously used to mock the Republican for his height, calling him “Little Marco”, while Rubio made fun of Trump’s small hands.
“For years to come, there are many people on the right, in the media and voters at large, that are going to be having to explain and justify how they fell into this trap of supporting Donald Trump,” told Jake Tapper on CNN in 2016.
