Rubio hits back at NYT reporter who called him out for ‘smiling’ at Trump rally

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Sen. Rubio on Biden's stance on China

Biden says the U.S. needs to get tough with China; reaction from Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.

Don't let a reporter from the Gray Lady catch you smiling at a Trump rally.

Senator Marco Rubio hit back at a New York Times reporter after the writer tweeted that it was “very strange” to see the Florida senator “smiling and chuckling” at the president’s re-election rally in Orlando Tuesday evening.

“BREAKING,” Rubio tweeted mockingly in response to Michael Barbaro. “In an unprecedented move a Republican Senator attended a rally in his home state in support of the re-election of a Republican President.”

In another tweet directed at Barbaro, he aligned himself with several of the president’s policies. “As opposed to smiling & chuckling at a rally for a radical liberal candidate for President who will undo policies to confront China, reduce regulations & taxes, defend liberty in Venezuela & protect the unborn?” he asked rhetorically.

Rubio also called out Barbaro, writing that after weeks of covering him in 2015, the reporter “uncovered that my wife had traffic tickets, I had a fishing boat & my home has big windows.”

Tensions between Rubio and Trump were high in the midst of the 2016 Republican primary when Rubio called Trump the man “with the worst spray tan in America” and joked with a rally crowd that then-candidate Trump may have wet his pants during a debate and had small hands.

Trump dubbed him “Little Marco,” said the senator “choked like a dog" during a debate and “couldn’t get elected dog catcher" in Florida. Rubio dropped out of the race after he lost his home state to Trump by double digits.