ABC's George Stephanopoulos Interviews Presidential Candidate Marco Rubio (TRANSCRIPT)

— -- On Monday, April 13, 2015, ABC News' Chief Anchor and host of "This Week" George Stephanopoulos interviewed Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.

The following is a transcript of the interview:

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Senator, thanks for doing this.

SENATOR MARCO RUBIO: Thank you.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: You made a decision.

SENATOR MARCO RUBIO: I did.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Why are you running?

SENATOR MARCO RUBIO: I think this country's at a generational moment, where it needs to decide not what party it wants in charge, but what kind of country are we gonna want to be moving forward. I think the American-- I think the 21st century can be an American century. And I believe that I can lead this country in that direction. I can help lead it there from the Senate. I can lead it there as president --

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: But why you?

SENATOR MARCO RUBIO: I-- first of all, I think I have-- I feel very strong attachment to the desire for upward mobility from my own life, and from the neighborhood I still live, from the people I'm surrounded-- around every single day. I realize that every country in the world has rich people. And I'm glad we have rich people in America too. But what makes us unique is that this is the one place on Earth where millions and millions of people who aren't rich still own a home, are able to save for retirement, are able to leave their kids better off than themselves. And, I think, if we ever lose that, we stop being special. Our next president of the United States has to be someone who understands that, is passionate about it, and has a plan to revive it and expand it to reach more people than ever.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: But are you the person most qualified in the country right now to be president?

SENATOR MARCO RUBIO: I absolutely feel that way. First of all, because I'm-- I'm strongly attached to that ideal of upward mobility for all Americans. I mean, I’ve invested the time also in understanding about the risks that we face on a global perspective. Our national security risks today are more complex than they’ve been in two decades. Because we face multiple risks, any of which on their own at any other time in our history would have consumed us. Whether it's Chinese aggression in the South Pacific. Whether it's Russia trying to re-litigate the end of the Cold War or rapid spread not just of radical jihadists but new radical jihadist groups including the risk of homegrown violent extremists, the Iranian nuclear ambition, the South Korean nuclear reality, the erosion of democracy in Latin America and the Western Hemisphere. All of these are pressing issues. And it's important to have a president that understands each of these and has ideas about how to address each of tehse.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: You've had one term in the Senate. Hillary Clinton, first lady, senator longer than you're in the Senate, secretary of state.