Rubio Campaign Canvasser Seriously Injured After Violent Attack For Wearing DeSantis Hat, Rubio Shirt, Campaign Says

A campaign canvasser for Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) reportedly suffered serious injuries late Sunday night while knocking on doors, the senator’s campaign said in a statement Monday afternoon.

“Last night one of our canvassers wearing my T-shirt and a DeSantis hat was brutally attacked by 4 animals who told him Republicans weren’t allowed in their neighborhood in Hialeah, Florida,” Rubio’s campaign posted on Twitter.

“He suffered internal bleeding, a broken jaw & will need facial reconstructive surgery,” the campaign added.

The campaign included photographs of the young man who was attacked that showed his face was badly beaten, and his eyes appeared swollen shut.

The young man was pictured being taken away in an ambulance.

Hialeah Sgt. Jose Torres said the that victim, an unidentified 27-year-old, was struck “multiple times in the face and the head causing the injuries.” The incident, Torres said, allegedly started after the victim tried to hand out fliers in an area and told he was not allowed to. He was then allegedly attacked by 25-year-old Javier Lopez.

Last night one of our canvassers wearing my T-shirt and a Desantis hat was brutally attacked by 4 animals who told him Republicans weren’t allowed in their neighborhood in #Hialeah #Florida

He suffered internal bleeding, a broken jaw & will need facial reconstructive surgery pic.twitter.com/36QpbySg58

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) October 24, 2022

“I can tell you this: political violence should not be tolerated by anyone,” Rubio added. “Our side or their side, we don’t tolerate political violence. In this country, we decide who governs not by street mobs, we decide who governs at the ballot box.”

The alleged attack comes after a North Dakota man admitted to fatally hitting a teenager with his car last month after a “political argument”. The man accused the teenager of being a “Republican extremist.”

Republican Gubernatorial candidate Mark Ronchetti said last month that he got a call from his wife after someone came by their house and “shot out the windows on our garage” with pellets.

Two canvassers for Texas Governor Greg Abbott were attacked last month while they were out knocking on doors. Law enforcement arrested the subject and charged him with criminal mischief.

The attacks come after President Joe Biden (D) demonized Republicans during a speech at the start of last month, saying that “MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic.”

The incident garnered responses from top Republicans, including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), who responded: “Absolutely horrific. Violence has NO PLACE in politics. Heidi and I are praying for his swift recovery.”

Former Rep. Mia Love (R-UT) responded, “If you’re concerned about preserving our system of government, you need to be concerned about this type of hatred and violence.”

The Miami Herald reported that Hialeah Mayor Esteban ‘Steve’ Bovo said during an interview that the city’s police chief told him that an arrest has been made in the case but that other details were still not known at this time.

This is a breaking news story; refresh the page for updates.