Marco Rubio, who did not have a strong showing in the New Hampshire primary contest, took the blame for the defeat, acknowledging that his debate performance hurt him in the contest.
"Our disappointment is not on you. It's on me. I did not do well on Saturday night, so listen to this: That will never happen again," the GOP candidate said. "And let me tell you why it will never happen again. It's not about me, it's not about this campaign, it's about this election and what's at stake in this election."
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It was the first time the junior senator from Florida admitted that he flubbed the debate last Saturday. Rubio has been railed from all ends since then for repeating the same lines from his speeches. He even inherited the nicknames "Marco Roboto" and "Robot Rubio" and faced protesters in costume earlier in the day.
Rubio had previously defended his repetition, insisting that he was only saying the same lines over and over and over because "It's true!"
At his watch party, Rubio voters expressed concern over the candidate’s debate performance.
Kurt Wright, a Vermont state rep backing Rubio, told MSNBC’s Benjy Sarlin he feared the debate dragged down Rubio. “If it continues to stay muddled [after NH], it’s advantage Trump,” he said. “That’s what I’m concerned about.”