Rubio: Skip white nationalist talk

Richard Spencer plans to speak at UF next week

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio took to Twitter on Wednesday to urge people to skip white nationalist leader Richard Spencer’s speech at the University of Florida next week.

In a pair of tweets, UF alum Rubio (@marcorubio) advised people not to give Spencer the attention he “craves:”

“Richard Spencer craves publicity. Desperate to incite outrage b/c terrified of @UF speech no one shows up for. #Sayfie #GatorNation 1 / 2

“#GatorNation not asking u to ignore his racist message. I am suggesting you embarrass him by denying him the attention he craves #Sayfie 2 / 2’’

Spencer is scheduled to appear on campus Oct. 19.

UF President Kent Fuchs initially balked at allowing the controversial leader of the National Policy Center to come to the university but relented after the threat of a lawsuit.

On Tuesday, he also advised students and faculty to stay away.

“[Do] not provide Mr. Spencer and his followers the spotlight they are seeking. They are intending to attract crowds and provoke a reaction in order to draw the media,” Fuchs wrote in an email.

“By shunning him and his followers we will block his attempt for further visibility.”

University officials have estimated that the tab for beefed-up security for the event will be $500,000 — but they’re only charging about $10,000 to Spencer’s group for the rental of the Phillips Center and security costs.

Spencer was involved in a “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Va., in August, in which 32-year-old paralegal Heather Heyer was killed — and 19 others injured — when a car plowed into a crowd of counterprotesters.

The driver, 20-year-old James Alex Fields Jr., is charged with second-degree murder in her death.

Spencer also attended a much smaller rally in Charlottesville this past weekend.

Spencer spoke at Auburn University last year after a federal judge ordered the school to allow him to do so.

The speech at the campus in Alabama attracted both supporters and counterprotesters and led to some fistfights and a handful of arrests.