The Rubio-Trump Peace Deal May be Kaput

Jeb was weak, Cruz is a liar, but what is Sen. Marco Rubio, according to Donald Trump? No one seems to know: The billionaire businessman hasn’t directed his attacks at the Florida senator, at least not yet. And Rubio has barely laid a glove on the mogul.

But all of that could change tonight during the Republican debate in Houston, Texas. While much of the focus is on an expected brawl between Rubio and Sen. Ted Cruz, signs indicate a Trump-Rubio fracas may also erupt.

In an interview on CNN, Trump declined to attack Rubio but alluded to the possibility that he’ll unleash his fury upon the Florida senator during the debate. “I think I’ll save that for tomorrow night,” said Trump. “We have to keep some good action for tomorrow night.”

Rubio’s tone toward Trump began to change Wednesday when, at a rally in Texas, he called out Trump for his lack of defense of Israel, according to NBC News. “The front-runner in this race, Donald Trump, has said he’s not going to take sides on Israel versus the Palestinians because he wants to be an honest broker,” said Rubio. “Well, there is no such thing as an honest broker in that. Because the Palestinian Authority, which has strong links to terror — they teach little kids that it’s a glorious thing to kill Jews.”

Maybe after these direct shots, Trump is ready to fire back.

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Some speculate that Trump hasn’t gone for Rubio’s jugular yet because he views him as an option for a vice presidential pick. This presumption seems plausible after Trump’s comments Wednesday about wanting someone “political” as his running mate who could help with passing legislation — experience that Rubio has from his time in the Senate and and in the Florida legislature.

Trump might also have no interest in taking on Rubio because he views him as a roadblock on his path to the White House and wants to keep him alive. Instead, he sees the need to take on Sen. Ted Cruz, as both men have been vying for the same base of the party since the beginning of the election. Undoubtedly, Trump, who has painted Cruz as a liar, is having an effect on voters who are looking for a “tell it like it is” candidate they can trust.

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But, in October, Trump sent a case of Trump-branded water bottles and two “Make America Great Again” towels to Rubio to poke fun at how much the candidate perspires. The campaign even described the gesture as a “lighthearted prank.” If only the other GOP competitors were so lucky to incur a “lighthearted” Trump attack.

Some big donors leaning toward Rubio need to see him take on Trump at the debate on Thursday, according to GOP fundraisers who are in contact with the party’s top donors. Many in the GOP see Thursday’s debate as the night to turn the tables on Trump.