Rubio: I’m Not Sure We’re Better Off Than We Were Under Trump

Editor’s Note: This article is part of our coverage of The Atlantic Festival. Learn more and watch festival sessions here.

Despite the whirlwind in Washington this week, Marco Rubio isn’t worried—at least not for his own party. As of now, Democrats have reached a deal to stave off a government shutdown until December, but they still need to prevent another crisis: a first-ever default on the national debt. Rubio is among the Senate Republicans who blocked efforts to raise the debt ceiling, effectively forcing Democrats to make the move on their own. “If you’re going to make a decision to ram your agenda down our throat, then you’re going to have to do the debt limit by yourself as well,” the Florida Republican told Kelly O’Donnell, a White House correspondent for NBC News.

In Rubio’s eyes, the Democrats are trying to “radically transform the role of government in our country”—something he doesn’t believe they have a mandate to do. He’s also not sure that the nation is in a better place than under the previous administration, accusing President Joe Biden’s government of mishandling the pandemic, the border, and the Afghanistan withdrawal.

Rubio spoke with O’Donnell during The Atlantic Festival today. Their conversation has been edited lightly for length and clarity.

Kelly O’Donnell: We’re coming together on a day that is not just an ordinary day in Washington. It’s the end of the fiscal year for the federal government. There’s a lot happening on Capitol Hill. Do you expect that the issue of simply keeping the government open, government funding, will that be resolved before the deadline?

I think so, and it could have been resolved a month ago, a week ago. I think it will be resolved today. I’m not sure. I don’t know anyone here who is in favor of the government shutting down. The debates have been about issues attached to it, not to the actual issue of funding