Sen. Marco Rubio Marco Antonio RubioGOP lawmakers distance themselves from Trump comments on transfer of power McConnell pushes back on Trump: 'There will be an orderly transition' Graham vows GOP will accept election results after Trump comments MORE (R-Fla.) is pushing back on a characterization from his hometown newspaper that he "defended" President Trump at Thursday's Senate hearing featuring former FBI Director James Comey.

Rubio pointed to a Miami Herald article that noted he had pushed Comey on why he didn't disclose publicly that Trump wasn't under a counter-intelligence investigation and that also mentioned that Rubio dined with the president earlier this week.

"This story claims I defended President at hearing today but failed to include quote of me defending him," Rubio tweeted. "Good reason for that, that quote [doesn't] exist. I didn't defend or attack anyone."

This story claims I defended President at hearing today but failed to include quote of me defending him. https://t.co/kLbrURVHZ0 1/2 — Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) June 8, 2017

Good reason for that, that quote doesnt exist. I didn't defend or attack anyone. I asked questions directly from Comey written statement.2/2 — Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) June 8, 2017

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Rubio, who ran against Trump in the 2016 GOP presidential primary, has been working with Trump's administration closely to rewrite the White House's policy on Cuba. Trump has reportedly been mulling a roll-back of the Obama administration's Cuba policies, which led to a historic thaw in Cuba-US relations.

Rubio on Thursday also attacked Florida's major newspapers for not covering the passage of a bill aimed at reforming the Veterans' Administration. The reporter who authored the Herald article targeted by Rubio responded on Twitter.