Sen. Marco Rubio pushed back against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's assertion that President Obama is the "founder" of the Islamic State, arguing Thursday that "radical jihadists" are to blame instead.

According to the Naples Daily News, Rubio made the remark prior to traveling to Orlando, where he was set to campaign with Trump.

"ISIS was founded by radical jihadists, not by the president," Rubio reportedly said.

Trump repeatedly made the remark on Thursday, reiterating it during interviews with CNBC and radio host Hugh Hewitt. He also made the comment at the tail end of his event in Kissimmee Thursday night, arguing that Obama is the founder "in a true sense."

However, Trump tweeted early Friday morning that his comment was intended to be sarcastic in nature.

As for Rubio, he currently leads Rep. Patrick Murphy by just over 4 points, winning 44.6 percent support to Murphy's 40.3, according to the latest RealClearPolitics average.