Sen. Marco Rubio on Saturday disputed President Donald Trump's contention that most illegal immigrants entering the United States are criminals, adding that "no matter how much outrage I or others express, he's not going to change his behavior."
"I don't think it's accurate," the second-term Florida Republican told CNN's David Axelrod of Trump's comments on migrants.
"And to the extent that it's not, if someone's coming across that's not a criminal — or you know them or they're a family member of yours and hear them described that way — of course you'll be offended."
However, Rubio added: "I think, by the way, it may be a small percentage, but significant nonetheless, that there are people crossing who are members of MS-13 and involved in criminality.
"We know that, too," he said. "But both things can be true.
"At the same time, you can acknowledge that the majority of people coming here are not coming here to break laws or live on welfare.
"That doesn't mean we don't have to have laws."
President Trump has repeatedly slammed illegals as criminals in arguing for a wall on the southern U.S. border with Mexico.
In a speech to the Nevada Republican Party Convention in Las Vegas on Saturday, Trump slammed Democrats for "allowing tremendous crime to come into our country" and for "being pathetically weak" on securing the border.
Rubio, 47, told Axelrod that Trump's strong rhetoric and tough immigration policy is what got him elected in November 2016.
"No matter how much outrage I or others express, he's not going to change his behavior," he said. "He was elected this way.
"He's behaving today like how he did on the campaign — and that's what voters chose. I respect that."
The senator denied accusations that Trump controlled the GOP, telling Axelrod that many feel the need to defend the president against the vitriol of the media.
"One of the things that gives the president strength within the party is many of the Republicans feel like he's treated unfairly," Rubio said.
"The media is outraged by everything he does and overreaches.
"People are not oblivious and don't agree with everything he does, but they feel he's treated so unfairly on such a consistent basis — whether you agree or not — that they feel like they've got to kind of balance it out by defending him.
"He's doing exactly what he said he would do if he get elected," the senator said.
"I'm not here to do combat with the president, to support everything he's for," Rubio added. "I'm here to work with whoever's in the White House to get things done, offer a view when we do not."
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