Marco Rubio warned supporters Tuesday that Republican front-runner Donald Trump was "no joke" and that his "scary side" requires voters to turn out to vote against him.
"This is no joke," the Florida senator said
on his website. "It's time to fight back, because we've seen a scary side of Donald Trump.
"It isn't just the opposite of what the Republican Party stands for, it's the opposite of what America stands for," he said.
Rubio and Trump have been battling furiously in recent days as Super Tuesday neared, with the senator bashing the developer as a "con man" — and Trump slamming Rubio as a "lightweight."
"But here's the truth: Americans are scared and angry," Rubio said. "And in far too many cases, Donald Trump has been preying on their fears and their insecurities, successfully."
He asked for a $25 donation toward his campaign.
"We cannot allow Donald Trump to hijack the conservative movement and the party of Reagan," Rubio said. "We cannot allow this country to turn away from the conservative principles that make us great."