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 Demings was accused for endorsing President Joe Biden’s economic platform.
At the West Palm Beach debate, 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.
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.
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.
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 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.
Demings claimed that in order to relieve hurting individuals and businesses, money for pandemic relief was required.
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.
