For the record, many have praised Rubio's speech to this European audience as one of the best in recent memory.
Here's the full transcript.Excerpt:
... So in a time of headlines heralding the end of the transatlantic era, let it be known and clear to all that this is neither our goal nor our wish – because for us Americans, our home may be in the Western Hemisphere, but we will always be a child of Europe. (Applause.) ...
Our great midwestern heartland was built by German farmers and craftsmen who transformed empty plains into a global agricultural powerhouse – and by the way, dramatically upgraded the quality of American beer. (Laughter.)
Our expansion into the interior followed the footsteps of French fur traders and explorers whose names, by the way, still adorn the street signs and towns’ names all across the Mississippi Valley. Our horses, our ranches, our rodeos – the entire romance of the cowboy archetype that became synonymous with the American West – these were born in Spain. And our largest and most iconic city was named New Amsterdam before it was named New York. ...
That one sentence is what that airhead bartender has glommed onto as her "gotcha" moment. The context, of course, is the contributions of all of our European settlers - and their cultures - to America. But, of course, she's too dense to grasp that. And, yes, the Spanish brought horses.
Now remind us, Sandy from the Suburbs, how much you know about the Taiwan situation. Uh, y'know, uh, uh, uh. Like, shut up.