Marco Rubio celebrated his strong third-place showing in the Iowa caucuses on Tuesday by declaring "this is not a time for waiting."
"So, this is the moment they said would never happen," the Florida senator told supporters in Des Moines after finishing with 23 percent of the vote. "For months, they told us we had no chance.
He finished just 1 percent behind consistent front-runner Donald Trump.
"For months they told us because we offer too much optimism in a time of anger, we had no chance," Rubio added. "For months, they told us because we didn't have the right endorsements or the right political connections, we had no chance.
"They told me that we have no chance because my hair wasn't gray enough and my boots were too high," Rubio said to cheers. "They told me I needed to wait my turn — that I needed to wait in line.
"But tonight, tonight here in Iowa, the people of this great state have sent a very clear message. After seven years of Barack Obama, we are not waiting any longer to take our country back."
The congratulated Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who won the caucuses with 28 percent of the vote, and former Gov. Mike Huckabee, who suspended his campaign after garnering only 2 percent.
However, Rubio cautioned: "This is not a time for waiting.
"For everything that makes this nation great now hangs in the balance. This is a time we need a president that will preserve, protect the Constitution of the United States. Not one that undermines, attacks and ignores the constitution of the United States.
"This is a time for a president who will defend our Second Amendment rights," he said. "Not a president who undermines them. This is a time for a president that will rebuild the U.S. military."
"I thank you here in Iowa. I thank you. We have taken the first step. But an important step toward winning this election.
"If I am our nominee, and I will be our nominee, thanks to what you have done here in this great state," Rubio said. "When I am our nominee, we are going to unify this party, and we are going to unify the conservative movement."
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