Rubio Staffer Accused of Punching Out Competition

Mudslinging and political campaigns go hand-in-hand, but actual punches aren’t normally part of presidential politics.

That, according to several media outlets, was not the case in Michigan last week. A staffer for Florida Sen. Marco Rubio’s campaign stands accused of punching a member of the Rand Paul’s team at a bar on Mackinac Island.

John Patrick Yob, a top aide in the Sen. Paul, R-Kentucky, campaign for the White House, says Rubio staffer Rich Beeson punched him while the two were at Horn’s Bar Thursday night.

“He literally physically assaulted me by punching me in the face,” Yob posted on Facebook. “The state police are looking for him.”

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Surveillance video from the bar shows a punch being thrown and several media outlets have confirmed the case is under investigation.

Staffers from both Republican campaigns were in Michigan last week stumping for support in Mackinac Island’s Republican Leadership Conference straw poll. Paul, incidentally won that poll with 22 percent in favor of his candidacy. Carly Fiorina trailed him with 15 percent. Rubio only garnered 8 percent while businessman Donald Trump earned 6 percent of the mock votes cast, according to Politico.

Following Thursday’s scuffle, Yob also took to Twitter to call for Beeson’s firing from the Rubio campaign “immediately.”

It is unclear at this time if Rubio intends to let Beeson go.

The Rubio campaign has been hitting the campaign trail hard in recent weeks, making headlines along the way. Last week, the University of Florida graduate poked fun at Florida State University. Last month, he also made news after a passed football thrown in Iowa managed to knock a little boy off his feet.

Photo courtesy of FOX 17/NDN Video