(Ankeny, IA) U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) held a town hall meeting at the FFA Enrichment Center on the Des Moines Area Community College campus in Ankeny on Monday evening. Rubio who is campaigning in Iowa in the last week leading up to the Iowa Caucuses on February 1st made a pitch that he is the only candidate who can unite the party in the general election in order to beat Hillary Clinton.
The event got a late start due to roads being snow and ice-covered as Central Iowa experienced inclement weather. Even with the poor traveling conditions approximately 150 people attended the town hall meeting.
He said, “One week from tonight you get to be the first people in the nation to answer this fundamental question – ‘what comes next for this country.'”
“The reason you are here tonight and the reason that you care so much for this election is because you know 2016 will be a turning point in our nation’s history because the last seven years, the last seven years have put in danger everything that makes America special,” Rubio stated.
“I can tell you that if I’m your nominee we will win this election. We will win this election because I will unite the Republican party. No one else running for President can unite the Republican party faster than I can when this contest is over, and it has been a heated contest and will continue to be one, but I can unite the Republican party,” Rubio declared. “Not only can I unite the Republican party, but if you nominate me I will go out and create and recruit new conservatives to our cause.”
“Hillary Clinton does not want to run against me, but I can not wait to run against her,” Rubio added later.
Rubio spoke just under a half an hour, and then took questions for additional 35 minutes. He stayed afterwards to talk to voters individually.
You can watch his remarks below:
Watch his Q&A session below: