“You know better, Marco Rubio”

In preparing today’s Substack column on Secretary of State Marco Rubio, I got to thinking about a phrase all of use at one time or another, in one form or another: “You know better. . . . He knows better.  . . . She knows better.  . . . You should know better.”

It might be something a parent says to a child: “You know better than to ride your bike on that street.”

It suggests that someone has been fully informed or warned about something but either forgets or intentionally ignores what they were told or what they know in their hearts.

Rubio, for instance, works for Trump now and carries out his orders without blinking an eye. Not long ago, Rubio was a critic of Trump and, in the Senate, he had a reputation as a conservative champion of democracy and opponent of oppressive regimes. What he’s doing now, deporting foreign students because their world views differ from Trump’s, is most definitely oppressive. In at least one instance, Rubio’s actions were likely unconstitutional, according to a federal judge. And yet, Rubio is committed to Trump’s harsh immigration policies. He knows better.

The “knows better” criticism only applies to certain men and women.

Let’s say there’s a guy you’ve known for a good while, and you’ve regarded him as relatively intelligent and principled. You find him thoughtful and empathetic, too. You don’t always agree — he cuts to the right politically while you’re at the center-left — but you sense integrity, and that makes a strong impression. You’d always expect this guy to do the right thing — to call out a bully, for instance, or be a hero during an emergency.

Should he ever do something wrong — commit a crime of moral turpitude or in some way surrender principles for personal gain — you’d be shocked, then disappointed, even angry. 

A guy you’ve known and respected for 15 years now speaks and acts in ways that you find despicable, and it hits you hard — double the normal blow because you know “he knows better.”

Of course, in the Trump era, there are lots of people who should know better — every Republican in the Senate, for instance. They all must know that Trump is the most corrupt president in history, that he’s brought crackpots into his cabinet, that he has little respect for Congress and the courts, and that his impulsiveness has hurt the U.S. economy. They might hear cheers for Trump; they might hear their red-capped constituents proclaim him a great president. But all those senators — every one of them — know better. 

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