Republican Sen. Marco Rubio is one of the most powerful lawmakers in Washington. And yet he’s puzzled, apparently, by the age of the earth.
When asked by GQ in an interview for its December issue how old he thinks the Earth is, the Florida GOPer told the magazine, “I’m not a scientist, man.”
Of course, scientists treat it as an unquestioned fact that the Earth is 4.5 billion years old. Many religious conservatives, on the other hand, point to the Bible’s creation tale, with many insisting that the Earth was created in a matter of days by God some 6,000 years ago.
“I can tell you what recorded history says, I can tell you what the Bible says, but I think that’s a dispute amongst theologians and I think it has nothing to do with the gross domestic product or economic growth of the United States,” Rubio said.
The senator who has taken on a larger role in the Republican Party this year added that he doesn’t “think I’m qualified to answer a question like that.” Instead, he said there are “multiple theories out there on how the universe was created and I think this is a country where people should have the opportunity to teach them all.”
The Republican, interestingly also told the magazine that he’s a big “hip-hop fan,” citing songs by N.W.A., Tupac and Eminem. He declared Eminem speaks with “depth” and his songs have a real message.
Over the weekend, Rubio made his first post-election trip to Iowa–which hosts the nation’s first presidential caucuses–for Gov. Terry Branstad’s annual birthday fundraiser. The trip fueled speculation that Rubio is already thinking about the 2016 presidential race.
