Rubio Faces Backlash for Smiling Snap with Ex-Proud Boys Chief

At the Shield of the Americas summit in Miami, Secretary of State Marco Rubio found himself in hot water after a photo surfaced featuring him alongside Enrique Tarrio, the former leader of the Proud Boys.

Tarrio, known for his far-right activism and a 22-year sentence commuted by Donald Trump for his involvement in the January 6 insurrection, shared the image on social media. He praised Rubio as “by far the best” candidate for Trump’s cabinet.

“Proud of this Cuban!” Tarrio wrote, flashing a thumbs-up in the photo, and added a Spanish phrase that translates to “down with communism.”

The snapshot quickly drew ire from former lawmakers, liberal organizations, and commentators who condemned Rubio for associating with Tarrio, who has been convicted of seditious conspiracy and obstruction of Congress.

Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, a former Democratic congresswoman from Florida, expressed her disbelief: “I don’t understand how [Rubio] would happily pose with a man convicted of seditious conspiracy for his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.”

She labeled Rubio’s actions as “extremely dangerous,” suggesting he was granting “legitimacy” to Tarrio.

Occupy Democrats, a progressive online group, also criticized Rubio, asserting that Tarrio was receiving “VIP access” despite his past actions that undermined democracy. They remarked, “So the ‘law and order’ MAGA administration welcomes a felon convicted of trying to overthrow the government into high-level events. Trumpworld looks more and more like a giant criminal syndicate, and yet they get away with it all.”

Luis Moreno, who served as Ambassador to Jamaica under Obama, described the photo as “Shameful, indefensible, revolting.”

Questions linger regarding whether Tarrio was invited to the event or if he attended independently. It remains uncertain if Rubio was aware of Tarrio’s identity when posing for the picture.

The State Department has been approached for comments regarding this incident.

Rubio participated in the summit alongside Trump and outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to discuss initiatives aimed at dismantling drug cartels in Latin America.

One of Trump’s objectives appears to be curbing the flow of illicit drugs into the U.S., a mission that has already seen actions against former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, who is currently detained in Brooklyn facing multiple drug and weapon-related charges.

Additionally, there seems to be an effort to pressure anti-capitalist regimes like Cuba into compliance with U.S. demands.

Tarrio’s statement about communism likely references recent developments in Cuba, an area where Rubio has reportedly been actively involved.