CNN's At This Hour on Tuesday spotlighted Senator Marco Rubio's attack on the Washington Post on Twitter. An on-screen graphic hyped how "Rubio Launches Bizarre Tweetstorm Against Media." The Florida Republican mocked the "genius line" in the liberal newspaper that "claims that I'm a bit at sea in terms of [my] next step politically." Rubio added, "Ummmm, not really. I have only said like 10,000 times I will be a private citizen in January."
Kate Bolduan remarked, "Yes, that happened," and asked former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty for his take on Rubio's Tweets. John Berman underlined, "He went through a whole campaign, with Donald Trump calling him 'little Marco'... And, all of a sudden, he explodes last night. It just — it seems strange to me." [video below]
Berman teased Rubio's posts by trumpeting, "Marco Rubio goes on an amazing late-night Twitter rant. This, folks, is why Twitter exists....slamming the media — but more importantly, revealing his future gym plans." The anchor raised the subject with Pawlenty midway through the segment: "Marco Rubio — Republican senator from Florida, former presidential candidate...had an interesting night on Twitter...There was an article in the Washington Post, which talked about Marco Rubio, and said...he was uncertain about what his future might be."
The two CNN hosts then read some of the former Republican presidential candidate's Tweets. Pawlenty replied, "This probably reinforces the idea that politicians shouldn't Tweet late at night for any reason — and not do it without some help; or, at least, a sounding board." The guest then asserted that "he's [Rubio is] probably frustrated. You've got all these people, who really don't know, speculating about his future; and 10, 11 o'clock at night — after, maybe a beer or something — he said...the heck with it. I'm going to shoot, spout off a little bit."
Berman replied to the former Minnesota governor with his "strange" label about the Twitter posts. Pawlenty confirmed, "It probably is a little odd, but people get frustrated. And so, if you talk all day, every day — eventually, you're going to Tweet or say something a little odd. It happens to all of us." He continued by emphasizing that Rubio is "an immense talent. He'll be running for president — in my opinion, should run for president in 2020 — and the party needs him."
The transcript of the relevant portion of the Tim Pawlenty interview from the May 17, 2016 edition of CNN's At This Hour With Berman and Bolduan — including the teaser for the segment:
05/17/2016
11:25 am EDT
CNN — At This Hour With Berman and BolduanJOHN BERMAN (teaser): Marco Rubio goes on an amazing late-night Twitter rant—
KATE BOLDUAN: Amazing!
[CNN Graphic: "Rubio Launches Bizarre Tweetstorm"]
BERMAN: This, folks, is why Twitter exists—
BOLDUAN: (laughs) No, it's not!
BERMAN: Slamming the media — but more importantly, revealing his future gym plans.
BOLDUAN: This is why Twitter exists. Sure, John. We'll go with that.
11:45 am EDTJOHN BERMAN: Let's talk about someone else, then: Marco Rubio — Republican senator from Florida, former presidential candidate — who had an interesting night on Twitter, okay? There was an article in the Washington Post, which talked about Marco Rubio, and said it was — he was uncertain about what his future might be — right? And so, Marco Rubio goes on Twitter last night — you know, with just — you know, ten Tweets. But let me read you just a couple of them—
[CNN Graphic: "Rubio Launches Bizarre Tweetstorm Against Media"]
KATE BOLDUAN: Dramatic reading, please—
BERMAN: And Kate's going to do of them, too—
BOLDUAN: Okay—
BERMAN: 'Another genius line claims that I'm a bit at sea in terms of his next step politically. Ummmm, not really. I have only said like 10,000 times I will be a private citizen in January.'
BOLDUAN: Then, he adds this later: 'A long time friend says Rubio is betwixt and between when it comes to whether to do chest or legs tomorrow at the gym. According to source who knows his cousin's wife's dentist, Rubio could do cardio instead.' (Pawlently laughs) Yes, that happened.
TIM PAWLENTY, (R), FORMER GOVERNOR OF MINNESOTA: This probably reinforces the idea that politicians shouldn't Tweet late at night for any reason (Berman and Bolduan laugh) — and not do it without some help; or, at least, a sounding board. So, I think it reenforces that. And number two: he's probably frustrated. You've got all these people, who really don't know, speculating about his future; and 10, 11 o'clock at night — after, maybe a beer or something — he said — you know, the heck with it. I'm going to shoot, spout off a little bit—
BOLDUAN: Heck with it — and why not?
PAWLENTY: Yeah. Why not?
BERMAN: He went through a whole campaign, with Donald Trump calling him 'little Marco,' all kinds of articles—
PAWLENTY: Yeah; yeah—
BERMAN: And, all of a sudden, he explodes last night. It just — it seems strange to me.
[CNN Graphic: "Rubio Launches Tweetstorm Over Post-Senate Plans"]
PAWLENTY: It probably is a little odd, but people get frustrated. And so, if you talk all day, every day — eventually, you're going to Tweet or say something a little odd. It happens to all of us.
BOLDUAN: What do you—
PAWLENTY: And, by the way, he's an immense talent. He'll be running for president — in my opinion, should run for president in 2020 — and the party needs him.
BERMAN: On Twitter — a talent on Twitter and elsewhere apparently. (Bolduan laughs)
PAWLENTY: (laughs) Right; right.
