Yesterday, around midday, there was some speculation that Rubio would drop out before Florida voted. That always seemed pretty unlikely: First, if Rubio did drop out before the Florida primaries, he would spend the rest of his life wondering if he could have caught up and overtaken Trump’s lead in his home state. Second, if Rubio dropped out, he would be denying all of his most loyal, longtime supporters — the ones who were there for him in the West Miami city commissioner race, the state House races, and the 2010 Senate race — the chance to vote for him.
Rubio appeared in a “town-hall meeting” hosted by Megyn Kelly on Fox News last night; his words were not those of a man thinking of quitting the race before Tuesday.
I have loyal people who have worked hard for us. I can tell you this: I’m the only one that can beat Donald Trump in Florida, and every poll would say that. If you like Ted Cruz or you like John Kasich and you live in Florida, that’s fine, but if you vote for them in Florida, you’re voting for Donald Trump. If you are truly committed to denying Donald Trump 99 delegates in the state of Florida, then people that are voting for John Kasich or Ted Cruz, at least in Florida, need to vote for Marco Rubio. I’m the only one that has a chance to beat him there.