‘No, it is because of cowards like you’: Parkland victim’s father slams Marco Rubio for comments on ‘fatherlessness’ and social ills

Gun control activist calls out Florida senator and says: ‘Are you saying all of the January 6th insurrectionists lacked fathers?’

Florida senator Marco Rubio (REUTERS)

Marco Rubio was called a “coward” by the father of a Parkland shooting victim after the Republican senator blamed all the country’s social ills on “fatherlessness”.

Mr Rubio, in a tweet to mark Father’s Day on Sunday, alleged that “billions in government spending is no substitute for fatherhood”, in comments that were widely derided.

“Every major social problem in America can be linked to fatherlessness,” the senator wrote. “Wherever involved fathers are rare, crisis is certain to follow”.

Fred Guttenberg, the father of a Parkland shooting victim, was among many who called out the Florida senator for his remarks on “fatherlessness”, and pointed to January’s insurrection.

“WTF is wrong with you Marco Rubio? Are you saying all of the January 6th insurrectionists lacked fathers,” wrote Mr Guttenberg of the riot, which left five people dead and dozens injured.

Mr Guttenberg, whose teenage daughter was a victim of at the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, in February 2018, went on to accuse Mr Rubio of cowardliness on the subject of gun control.

The senator, whose home state is Florida, said immediately after the Parkland shooting that gun controls “would not have prevented” it.

Mr Guttenberg wrote: “Closer to home, are you saying the impact of gun violence on Americans is because of a lack of dads. No Marco, it is because of cowards like you.”

That was followed by Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg writing of Mr Rubio: “Millions in National Rifle Association (NRA) money is no substitute for a soul”.

Mr Hogg, a campaigner for gun control, was referencing the gun advocacy group’s donations to Mr Rubio.

Dozens of others also called out Mr Rubio for his remarks on “fatherlessness”, with the Republican senator accused of both misogyny and homophobia.

Citing his two mothers, Democrat Rep Omari Hardy wrote of Mr Rubio: “My two mothers and I want you to know that you're a clown.”