Rubio: Obama funds Planned Parenthood instead of troops

by Lisa Hagen - 01/05/16 4:04 PM ET

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) takes aim at President Obama’s strategy to combat terrorism in a new TV ad.

The GOP presidential hopeful’s campaign on Tuesday released the ad, titled “Safe,” to air in early-voting states.

{mosads}In it, Rubio knocks the release of 17 more detainees from Guantanamo Bay, as well as the president’s support for Planned Parenthood and tighter gun laws.

“Barack Obama released terrorists from Guantanamo, and now they are plotting to attack us,” Rubio says in the ad. “Instead of fighting to fund our troops, he fights to fund Planned Parenthood.”

The ad also blasts Obama’s plan to strengthen gun laws. The president on Tuesday unveiled his executive actions to curb gun violence and expand background checks. “His plan after the attack in San Bernardino — take away our guns,” Rubio says.

The spot goes on to knock the president’s commitment to climate change.

“While ISIS is beheading people and burning them in cages, he says climate change is our greatest threat,” Rubio continues.

Rubio sits in third place in the national GOP presidential race, according to a RealClearPolitics average of national polls, behind Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).

Among early-voting states, Rubio is in third place in Iowa and South Carolina and second only to Trump in New Hampshire.

Tags Marco Rubio