WASHINGTON — Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, a possible GOP contender for the White House, has blasted President Obama for apologizing to an art historian after questioning the job prospects of art-history majors.
“Pathetic Obama apology to art history prof. We do need more degrees that lead to #jobs,” Rubio tweeted Wednesday.
On Tuesday, it was revealed that Obama sent a handwritten apology to University of Texas art professor Ann Collins Johns for remarks he made at a GE factory in Wisconsin suggesting students were better off studying subjects more likely to land them jobs than studying art history.
“A lot of young people no longer see the trades and skilled manufacturing as a viable career, but I promise you, folks can make a lot more potentially with skilled manufacturing or the trades than they might with an art-history degree,” the president said in January.
Rubio has proposed legislation to give students “reliable data on how much they can expect to make versus how much they can expect to owe” when they go to college. He delivered a speech on college costs at Miami Dade College last week.