U.S. Senator Marco Rubio made a campaign stop in Pella Wednesday morning as part of a statewide bus tour.

The Republican presidential candidate addressed national security and other issues to a crowd of more than 100 in the Pella Golf and Country Club.

“There are no civil liberties without national security, if you aren’t safe you can’t be free, and so the most important obligation for the federal government is to keep us safe,” Rubio said in response to an audience question.

Before Rubio spoke, South Carolina Representative Trey Gowdy endorsed the Florida Senator and encouraged those in attendance to vet candidates thoroughly before making a decision.

“What I am willing to do is to tell you that I did exactly what I’m encouraging you to do. I went through candidates, I found out where they stood on the issues, I went through that metric in my own mind,” Gowdy said to the audience.

“I am convinced for me, that I’m going to vote for Marco Rubio in the South Carolina primary.”

Rubio discussed and addressed questions about collateral damage in foreign wars, the relationship between civil liberties and national security, and how his experience in politics translates to leading the country, among other topics.