GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump is "insecure," and that's why he lashes out at his opponents when things aren't going well for him, says one of his rivals, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.
"He takes shots at everybody that gets anywhere close to him, in terms of a poll, or anytime he hits a rough spot, that's what he does," Rubio told Kentucky sports radio station WLAP on Thursday.
"He had a really bad debate performance last week, he's not well informed on the issues, he really never talks about issues and can't have more than a 10-second sound bite on any key issue," Rubio added. "So I think he's really been exposed a little bit over the last seven days and he's a very touchy and insecure guy and so that's how he reacts. And people can see through it."
Rubio's comments come after Trump went on the attack against Rubio Thursday morning on CNN's
"New Day."
"Marco Rubio, he's like a kid. He shouldn't be running in this race as far as I'm concerned," Trump, 69, said of the 44-year-old Rubio.
Trump also slammed Rubio's background in the Senate, saying he doesn't create jobs like he does.
"Marco Rubio sits behind a desk; sometimes and he reads stuff, he's in committees so you know that's all he does," Trump said. "I create jobs all day long."
Trump's comments on Rubio come at the 20:15 mark.
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Trump promised that although he has no political experience, once elected, "I'll know more about this than all of them put together. If Marco Rubio's good, how come we're doing so badly? He's a sitting U.S. senator so why doesn't he do something about it? I'm not in government, he is in government."
On MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Thursday, Trump said Rubio tends to perspire, saying "He sweats more than any young person I've ever seen in my life. ... I've never seen a guy down water like he downs water. ... They bring it in buckets for this guy."
The latest polls show Rubio among candidates gaining on Trump. It probably didn't help when Rubio took aim at Trump on Tuesday.
"I think that the most important thing a president will ever do is provide for the national security of our country, and I think up to now, he hasn't really answered serious questions about national security," Rubio told Fox News Channel. "Until he does, there should be serious concerns, not just about him but about any candidate that's not able to speak in detail, with clarity and with seriousness, about the national security threats that we face."
Trump has been after Rubio in recent days, telling a campaign crowd in South Carolina on Wednesday that Rubio has "no money, zero. Now, I think that's OK ... I mean, he's got nothing."
Rubio is "overly ambitious, too young," Trump said. "And I have better hair than he does, right?"
Appearing Thursday on Fox News Channel's
"The O'Reilly Factor," Rubio said the Republican Party needs to nominate "someone who has real thoughts," though he admitted front-runner Donald Trump has gotten more people to pay attention to the election process.
Host Bill O'Reilly asked Rubio his impression of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's speech when he quit the race and urged others who aren't faring well in the crowded field to quit, too. The party should rally to take out Trump, Walker said.
"Well, what I think is we need to have someone who is a serious person," Rubio said.
"Someone who is serious about the future of our country, someone who understands the challenges that we face. It's not about us individually. It's about the United States of America."
When O'Reilly asked if Trump is someone who doesn't have real thoughts, Rubio noted that when last week's debate turned to policy matters Trump went silent for several minutes.
That fact is self-evident to anyone who watched the debate, Rubio said.
"That's why he had a bad debate and acting the way he is and continuing to offend anyone who criticizes him," he added. "He is thin-skinned and sensitive to criticism. He can't have a conversation about policy because quite frankly he doesn't know anything about policy."
O'Reilly said he believes Trump has been good for the GOP in getting more people to watch the debates. Rubio wouldn't specifically credit Trump, but said he was happy more people are watching.
"Am I glad that people are tuning in and watching? Absolutely," Rubio said. "I think if you look at what we offer in the conservative movement it is superior as to what the other side has forced upon this country for the past several years."
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