Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida was considered one of the most promising candidates for Donald Trump’s vice presidency until recently, but on Monday Trump announced that he had chosen Senator JD Vance from Ohio. This means that Trump-Vance is now officially the Republican ticket.
Rubio seems to have accepted the decision with grace, and on Tuesday night, in prime time at the Republican National Convention, he spoke eloquently about the beloved father who was gunned down by crazed would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks. While the news that a former and perhaps future president had escaped death by millimeters has spread around the world, it is crucial to remember that an innocent and frankly wonderful-sounding man was not so lucky.
His name was Corey Comperatore, and he was a father, a husband, and a solid American citizen, and Rubio was clearly moved when he honored him. The Florida senator brought the audience to tears as he spoke about faith and how much Trump cares about ordinary Americans while the Democratic elite seems to have no interest in their fate. Ordinary Americans like:
Corey Comperatore. He was a former fire chief. And a loving husband. He was described as the best father a girl could ask for. A man of God who loved Jesus deeply and cared for the members of his church.
Corey was one of the millions of Americans who make our country great.
He wasn’t luxurious, he wasn’t notable. And the only reason we know his name and his story is because last Saturday he protected his wife and daughter from an assassin’s bullet. And lost his life the way he lived it.
A hero.
At this point, the crowd erupted in chants of “Corey, Corey.” I am a “girl dad” – I have three daughters and a wonderful son – and as much as I don’t want to be murdered, it pains me even more to think that one of my girls had to witness such an atrocity. My heartfelt condolences go out to the Comperatore family.
Rubio continued:
For those still wondering who is in the press and who is watching at home, those are the Americans wearing the red hats and waiting for hours in the blazing sun to hear Trump speak.
And what they want, what they are demanding, is neither hateful nor extreme. What they want is good jobs and lower prices. They want secure borders and that those who come here can do so legally. They want to be safe and sound from criminals and terrorists. And they want our politicians to care more about our problems here at home and the problems of other countries far away.
We lost a good man on Saturday:
Corey Comperatore, Hero: How a Man Does It
Daughter of man killed in Trump assassination publishes moving statement on her father’s final actions
Rubio also stressed that politics is crucial, but not everything.
MARCO RUBIO: “This thing we do, which is called politics, is important. It is not unimportant.”
“But it is our PEOPLE who must ALWAYS be the most important thing in everything we do!” pic.twitter.com/AI0LVpsjB8
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 17, 2024
This was a stirring, powerful speech that reminded us of what is at stake. While President Biden backed away from his inflammatory rhetoric in an NBC interview on Monday, ridiculously claiming that his operate of the phrase “it’s time to target Trump” was somehow less egregious than if he had used the word “crosshairs,” the truth is that the left has long been bent on violence.
That’s what they wanted
Rubio reminded us that despite all the coverage, the radiant lights, and the substantial moments, in the end it all comes down to people. Ordinary Americans like Corey Comperatore. May he rest in peace.
Finally, a somewhat more positive note: An online fundraiser for the Comperatore family has already over 1 million US dollarsIt won’t bring him back, but it shows the heart of the American people.
