Sen. Marco Rubio says he'd back the Republican Senate leader against a tea party challenger.

"I do," the Florida Republican said on "Fox News Sunday" when asked if he supports Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). "I do support Sen. McConnell's bid for reelection. I think he's trying to lead our conference. It's a diverse conference with a lot of different opinions. That's a tough job to begin with. And of course, he's got to represent his own state." 

The Senate Conservative Fund, a powerful outside group, announced Friday it was backing McConnell's challenger, businessman Matt Bevin. While Rubio was associated with tea party groups during his Senate run, he has become more associated with establishment Republicans in recent years.