President Donald Trump gave his seal of approval Thursday to Marco Rubio’s now-viral “Maduro tracksuit” look, joking to reporters that the secretary of state pulled off the outfit better than most.
“I thought he looked very good in the sweatsuit. I don’t know if I’d do it, but I thought he looked very good,” Trump said aboard Air Force One when asked about Rubio’s gray Nike tracksuit, which has exploded online as one of the administration’s latest meme moments. 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Trump dishes on Rubio’s ‘Maduro’ Nike fit" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7KUcSbalKpQ?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Rubio <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/marco-rubio-is-actually-wearing-nicolas-maduros-nike-sweatsuit-on-air-force-one">turned heads</a> on Tuesday when White House communications officials posted a photo of him aboard Air Force One en route to China wearing the same gray Nike Tech sweatsuit made famous by the January capture of Nicolás Maduro. The image immediately went viral because Maduro was photographed in an almost identical outfit when U.S. forces arrested and extradited him to New York City earlier this year to face federal criminal charges. 
The White House leaned into the joke, posting a side-by-side video comparing Rubio and Maduro in the same outfit, dubbing it a “full circle moment.” Online, users jokingly coined the term “Maduromaxxing,” while others called the move classic Rubio trolling, especially given his longtime hawkish stance toward socialist strongmen in Latin America.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Full circle moment <a href="https://t.co/6hkxyGNo8J">pic.twitter.com/6hkxyGNo8J</a>
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/2054338104316547154?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The tracksuit itself has taken on an oddly specific internet fame since Maduro’s capture, becoming a kind of inside joke among younger online conservatives and meme pages. Rubio, who was traveling with Trump for the president’s high-profile Beijing visit, appeared unfazed by the attention, though the outfit briefly overshadowed the diplomatic mission itself.
The White House has increasingly embraced internet-native political humor. Even at 30,000 feet on the way to a summit with Beijing, there was still time to troll a deposed dictator.

Marco Rubio/Donald Trump

Trump Dishes On Rubio’s ‘Maduro’ Nike Fit

Donald Trump

Marco Rubio

Nicolas Maduro

For most high-ranking diplomats, a misprinted nameplate would be a minor annoyance or a subtle dig. For Marco Rubio, it&#8217;s a victory.
When the Secretary of State joined President Donald Trump for Thursday&#8217;s bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, his last name was slightly misspelled. The reason? Beijing has twice sanctioned Rubio and effectively barred him from entering the country. But Rubio is America&#8217;s top diplomat, and Trump would not have undertaken such a high-stakes state visit without him. So, the Chinese Communist Party devised a linguistic workaround to allow Rubio entry without formally lifting the sanctions.
Chinese Embassy spokesman Liu Pengyu said this week that the sanctions targeted Rubio’s “words and deeds when he served as a U.S. senator concerning China.”
According to Garrett Exner, those words and deeds comprise a “remarkably clear-eyed&#8221; assessment of the CCP&#8217;s faults.
“Likely because of his Cuban background, Rubio sees communism for the evil it is and has no issue calling it out,” Exner, a fellow at the Hudson Institute, told The Daily Wire. “It is a win for President Trump that he forced China’s hand in changing their own rules to bring his Secretary of State.”
As a senator, Rubio was a leading critic of Beijing&#8217;s treatment of the Uyghur minority in the Xinjiang region and an outspoken supporter of pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong. For that and more, China brought the hammer down on Rubio in 2020 — something the then-Florida senator met with humor.
“Last month China banned me,” Rubio wrote at the time. “Today they sanctioned me. I don’t want to be paranoid but I am starting to think they don’t like me.”
Rubio&#8217;s joking tone in no way belies an unserious approach to China. While traveling to China aboard Air Force One, Rubio described Beijing as America’s top geopolitical rival and <a href="https://x.com/foxnews/status/2054668282288873637?s=46&amp;t=ghpHusspWPjTMisXwpsMaA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warned</a> that it seeks to displace the United States as the world’s dominant power.
“It’s both our top political challenge geopolitically and it’s also the most important relationship for us to manage,” Rubio said. “It’s a big powerful country and it’s going to continue to grow.”
Rubio added that the United States and China will inevitably have conflicting interests but argued the relationship must still be managed carefully to avoid military conflict.
“We’re going to have interests of ours that are going to be in conflict with interests of theirs; to avoid wars and maintain peace and stability in the world, we’re gonna have to manage those,” Rubio said.
Years earlier, Rubio contrasted China with Russia, arguing that Chinese ambitions posed the more serious long-term threat.
“Under Putin, Russia is trying to undermine the U.S.,” Rubio <a href="https://x.com/marcorubio/status/1122829094956294149" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote in 2019</a>. “But Xi aims for China to displace us. Putin efforts must be addressed. But in the big picture Xi challenge is a far bigger threat.”
In another 2019 <a href="https://x.com/marcorubio/status/1118153016505507841" target="_blank" rel="noopener">X post</a>, Rubio wrote: “Problem isn’t people of China — it’s Xi govt economic cheating &amp; stealing &amp; human rights abuses.”
Rubio has also repeatedly singled out Chinese President Xi Jinping personally, arguing that Xi’s leadership has damaged China’s global standing through aggressive foreign policy, human rights abuses, and COVID-era secrecy.
In a 2020 <a href="https://x.com/marcorubio/status/1265608222414643200" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a>, Rubio wrote that “history will say Xi’s aggressiveness backfired &amp; inflicted tremendous damage on China globally,” citing the mass detention of Uyghurs, “Coronavirus coverups,” and the rise of China’s so-called “Wolf Warrior Diplomats.”
<h3>Rubio’s Long Campaign For Uyghurs</h3>
One of the primary reasons Beijing sanctioned Rubio was his outspoken criticism of China’s treatment of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in the Xinjiang region, which has included accusations of mass surveillance, persecution, arbitrary arrests, torture, forced labor, sexual violence, forced sterilization, and genocide. China has denied such abuses have taken place.
In 2020, Rubio <a href="https://x.com/marcorubio/status/1317059934551494657" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declared</a> that China’s actions amounted to “a systematic state sponsored crime against humanity.”
He later <a href="https://x.com/marcorubio/status/1319639154272161801" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pushed</a> the State Department to formally determine whether Beijing’s actions constituted genocide.
Rubio additionally introduced the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which was signed into law in 2021. The law blocks goods made with forced labor in Xinjiang from entering American markets.
Rubio also has a history of calling out American corporations he believed were benefiting from Chinese forced labor practices, <a href="https://x.com/marcorubio/status/1432422169666072576" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criticizing Nike</a> in 2021 for selling products made by &#8220;600 Uyghurs in forced labor at the factory in Qingdao.&#8221; But the treatment of Uyghurs is not the only venue for Rubio&#8217;s vehement criticism of China.
<h3>Rubio Supported Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Protesters</h3>
Rubio emerged as one of the most vocal supporters of the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong in 2019 and 2020, which were met with a brutal crackdown from the Chinese government.
At the time, Rubio repeatedly accused the Communist Party of violating its international commitments and dismantling the territory’s promised autonomy.
In May 2020, Rubio <a href="https://x.com/marcorubio/status/1263630684830171139" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blasted</a> Chinese officials after they accused him of placing “unjustifiable pressure” on China.
“Wrong,” Rubio responded. “China’s Communist Party is breaking its international commitments to respect Hong Kong’s autonomy &amp; democracy.”
Rubio also <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/1838" target="_blank" rel="noopener">introduced</a> the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, legislation authorizing sanctions against Chinese and Hong Kong officials responsible for undermining freedoms in the territory. The bill received near-unanimous support in Congress.
In 2019, Rubio <a href="https://x.com/marcorubio/status/1161592939778334721" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> that Hong Kong was “a cautionary lesson for anyone thinking about any deal with them.”
“They signed a treaty promising autonomy &amp; democracy for Hong Kong,” Rubio said. “They will agree to anything to get a deal. But they have no intention of keeping those promises.”
In 2020, Rubio warned that the Chinese Communist Party “should never be trusted to keep any international agreement they enter into,” <a href="https://x.com/marcorubio/status/1263543790683504640" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arguing</a> that Beijing “will lie to get any deal” before ultimately doing “whatever they want” once it serves their interests.
<h3>Rubio Repeatedly Defended Taiwan</h3>
Throughout his career, Rubio has never shied away from one of the most contentious issues between the United States and China: Taiwan. Rubio has consistently defended Taiwan and rejected Beijing’s territorial claims over the self-governing island.
In 2020, Rubio warned that China would attempt to intimidate Taiwan through propaganda and psychological pressure.
“But they will fail,” Rubio <a href="https://x.com/marcorubio/status/1263075520360701954" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>. “Taiwan will not be scared into surrendering their liberty &amp; America stands with them.”
Rubio also pushed for stronger U.S. diplomatic engagement with Taiwan, including urging the Trump administration in 2019 to send a high-level American official to events marking the anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act.
“Taiwan faces unprecedented threats from China,” Rubio <a href="https://x.com/marcorubio/status/1102937750339239942" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>. “The U.S. must make our support clear.”
After Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Rubio also argued that the international community should support Taiwanese independence if China was willing to recognize Russian-backed separatist territories.
“Since China supports recognizing the independence of Russian puppets in Ukraine maybe it’s time the world supports the independence of the legitimate government of Taiwan,” Rubio <a href="https://x.com/marcorubio/status/1498825760924176391" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> days after the invasion.
In October, Rubio reassured Taiwan supporters by saying the Trump administration would not negotiate away Taiwan’s future in exchange for a trade deal with Beijing.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t think you&#8217;re going to see some trade deal where, if what people are worried about is we&#8217;re going to get some trade deal or we&#8217;re going to get favorable treatment on trade in exchange for walking away from Taiwan,&#8221; Rubio <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/china/rubio-says-taiwan-should-not-be-concerned-about-us-china-talks-2025-10-25/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;No one is contemplating that.&#8221;
<h3>Rubio Fought For Truth On COVID</h3>
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Rubio emerged as one of the leading voices demanding accountability from Beijing and investigating the origins of the virus.
In 2020, Rubio accused the Communist Party of politicizing the pandemic and exploiting the crisis “for publicity and profit.”
“It proves how they politicize everything because everything, even public health, is subservient to the party,” <a href="https://x.com/marcorubio/status/1250461554979594243" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rubio wrote</a>.
In a <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GOVPUB-Y4_IN8_19-PURL-gpo212742/pdf/GOVPUB-Y4_IN8_19-PURL-gpo212742.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lengthy report</a> released in 2022, Rubio pointed to evidence suggesting Chinese authorities may have known about a dangerous outbreak well before publicly acknowledging it in December 2019.
The report also argued there were signs of a possible “serious biocontainment failure or accident” involving the Wuhan Institute of Virology during the second half of 2019.
In a 2023 Fox News <a href="https://x.com/marcorubio/status/1649035485648388097" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a>, Rubio said that China does not want the world to know how COVID started.
“This probably was a lab leak accident. Someone got infected, it has now spread across the world and the totalitarian Communist government in China doesn’t want the world to know about it.”
In an <a href="https://senatormarcorubio.medium.com/the-chinese-communist-party-is-dangerous-deceptive-and-self-serving-d7fdc7cb4890#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">op-ed</a> the same year, Rubio argued that the COVID origins controversy was only one example of broader Chinese infiltration efforts targeting American institutions and corporations.
“The Chinese Communist Party is dangerous, deceptive, and self-serving,” Rubio wrote.
Rubio pointed to reports claiming CCP members were embedded inside major Western companies and called for legislation targeting Chinese influence operations, espionage efforts, and military cooperation loopholes.
<h3>Rubio Warned About Chinese Espionage In America</h3>
Rubio has repeatedly warned that the Chinese government was using students, researchers, and businesses to advance Beijing’s military and intelligence capabilities.
In 2020, Rubio praised moves targeting Chinese students allegedly involved in stealing American research.
“Good move to address China using some students at our universities to steal research &amp; advance military capabilities,” <a href="https://x.com/marcorubio/status/1265951910886019072" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rubio wrote</a> regarding Chinese graduate students being expelled if they have ties to China’s military schools.
At the same time, Rubio warned Americans not to direct hostility toward ordinary Chinese citizens.
“This must be addressed in a targeted way while rejecting xenophobia,” Rubio added. “Remember, China’s govt often entraps its own people into this.”
Rubio also pushed <a href="https://joewilson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-joe-wilson-r-sc-and-senator-marco-rubio-r-fl-introduce-the" target="_blank" rel="noopener">legislation</a> aimed at exposing Chinese influence operations inside American universities.
In 2018, Marco Rubio introduced the Foreign Influence Transparency Act, which sought to require organizations such as Confucius Institutes to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act if they promoted the political agenda of a foreign government.
“This legislation aims to bring greater transparency to the activities of foreign governments operating in the United States,” Rubio said at the time, arguing the bill would strengthen foreign funding disclosure requirements for colleges and universities while closing loopholes that allowed Chinese government-linked entities to operate on more than 100 American campuses.
With even Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-takes-a-spontaneous-2028-presidential-straw-poll-vance-or-rubio" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stoking speculation</a> as to whether his Secretary of State will run for president in 2028, it&#8217;s clear that Rubio isn&#8217;t going anywhere. No doubt Beijing is thinking a lot about that.

CHINA-US-DIPLOMACY

Sanctioned By China, Marco Rubio Represents America In Beijing

China

Taiwan

Secretary of State Marco Rubio says that his current job is different from any position he&#8217;s ever held, and he credits President Donald Trump for making that difference.
During a brief interview aboard Air Force One, en route to Beijing for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-set-to-land-in-china-for-high-stakes-talks-with-xi">President Trump&#8217;s summit</a> with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Rubio explained that Trump was different because he was willing to actually do the things that most politicians only paid lip service to.
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Why Rubio says working for Trump is unlike any job he’s ever had" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3TfXfDvIGM0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Fox News host Sean Hannity, aboard the presidential plane, spoke with Rubio on a number of issues — but zeroed in on his jacket as they began to wrap things up: &#8220;I think just to be Secretary of State, that’s a pretty cool jacket they gave you.&#8221;
&#8220;Yeah, it was a gift that somebody gave me, and it’s good to wear it on the plane,&#8221; Rubio agreed.
&#8220;Are you in – look, you were a senator for all these years. I’ve known you for so many years. We’ve had a friendship for so many years,&#8221; Hannity said, asking, &#8220;How do you compare this job to everything else you’ve done? &#8221;
&#8220;Well, it’s quite different, right?  The work of a legislator involves constituent service, and it involves writing of legislation, committee meetings, oversight.  And I enjoyed doing all of that, and it was an important era in our life,&#8221; Rubio said of his previous experience in the Senate before pivoting to address his current role.
&#8220;This was a very different opportunity. This is in the Executive Branch. Here you’re actually executing on laws, and you’re – basically, you’re executing the President’s foreign policy. So I enjoy the role, I enjoy the job, and I enjoy working for this President because he’s willing to do what others talk about but don’t do,&#8221; Rubio added. &#8220;When you say, &#8216;Well, we can’t do that,&#8217; and you’ll say, &#8216;Why?&#8217; That’s his question. Why? Why can’t we do that? Why hasn’t this been done before? He is willing to do what others are not willing to do.  He is willing to solve unfinished business and not leave it for the next guy or gal. And I admire that, and it’s a lot of fun to be a part of it.&#8221;
Hannity also joked about the fact that Rubio has worn a number of hats within President Trump&#8217;s second administration — prompting a flood of memes and jokes as well as the open question whether he will be the one to at least temporarily fill any job that opens up in the future.
The former Florida senator has leaned in to the joke himself, popping into the briefing room to pose as acting White House Press Secretary the day after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/marco-rubio-adds-another-job-title-to-his-resume">Karoline Leavitt</a> signed out to begin her maternity leave.

US-POLITICS-TRUMP

Rubio Reveals Why His Role Under Trump Is Unlike Any Job He’s Ever Had

Why Rubio Says Working For Trump Is Unlike Any Job He's Ever Had

Global Politics

Politics

Marco Rubio is stealing a look from Nicolás Maduro.
Aboard Air Force One on his way to China with President Donald Trump, the secretary of state is rocking the Nike sweatsuit that was worn by Maduro after he U.S. forces arrested him and extradited him to New York to face criminal charges, according to a picture posted by White House official Steven Cheung. 
&#8220;Secretary Rubio rocking the Nike Tech ‘Venezuela’ on Air Force One!&#8221; wrote Cheung.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Secretary Rubio rocking the Nike Tech ‘Venezuela’ on Air Force One! 😂 <a href="https://t.co/yi1b1mR8M0">pic.twitter.com/yi1b1mR8M0</a>
— Steven Cheung (@StevenCheung47) <a href="https://twitter.com/StevenCheung47/status/2054325027659448711?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2026</a></blockquote>
The White House immediately posted a <a href="https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/2054338104316547154?s=20">video</a> that shows Rubio and Maduro both in the same clothes.
The short clip starts off with Rubio&#8217;s now-famous quoting of<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JZom_gVfuw"> The Notorious B.I.G.&#8217;s &#8220;Juicy&#8221;</a> on January 3, 2026, saying,<a href="https://x.com/StateDept/status/2007530937362321732?s=20"> &#8220;If you don&#8217;t know, now you know,&#8221;</a> referencing the overnight capture of  Maduro.
Then, the video transitions to a cropped photo shared by President Trump on Truth Social showing the blindfolded Venezuelan leader dressed in the gray Nike sweatsuit aboard a U.S. naval warship en route to the United States, his ears covered with noise-canceling headphones. At the very end, the video has straight-faced Rubio donning the same outfit aboard Air Force One.
&#8220;Full circle moment,&#8221;<a href="https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/2054338104316547154?s=20"> the White House said on social media. </a>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Full circle moment <a href="https://t.co/6hkxyGNo8J">pic.twitter.com/6hkxyGNo8J</a>
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/2054338104316547154?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2026</a></blockquote>
&#8220;Maduromaxxing,&#8221; one X user posted.
&#8220;Haters will say it&#8217;s AI,&#8221; a White House official said.
&#8220;Marco Rubio will be next President based on the memes alone,&#8221; said another user.
The gray Nike Tech suit became a viral social media meme following Maduro&#8217;s capture. The specific Nike Tech suit featured in the Maduro photo carries cultural significance, particularly for younger men in the worlds of rap music and sports.
The morning after Maduro&#8217;s capture, Rubio hammered the<a href="https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/nicol-s-maduro-moros-and-14-current-and-former-venezuelan-officials-charged-narco-terrorism"> indicted narco-terrorist</a> and used the moment to reinforce the administration&#8217;s messaging. 
&#8220;I hope what people now understand is we have a president, the 47th president of the United States, is not a game player. When he tells you that he&#8217;s going to do something, when he&#8217;s going to tell you he&#8217;s going to address a problem, he means it,&#8221; Rubio said.
&#8220;This is a president of action, like, I don&#8217;t understand yet how they haven&#8217;t figured this out. And now, if you don&#8217;t know, now you know, because this is the way it&#8217;s going to play out,&#8221; he added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
🚨 HOLY SMOKES. Marco Rubio LAYS THE HAMMER on Maduro &#8211; and warns the entire world
&#8220;He likes to PLAY GAMES and thinks NOTHING WILL HAPPEN. I hope people understand President Trump is NOT A GAME PLAYER!&#8221;
&#8220;He wanted to play BIG BOY?&#8221;
&#8220;IF YOU DON&#8217;T KNOW, NOW YOU KNOW.&#8221; 
🔥🔥🔥🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/MS8lWsaAvL">pic.twitter.com/MS8lWsaAvL</a>
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2007501274095427893?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2026</a></blockquote>

HIJ5e5SW4AAxgbD

Marco Rubio Is Actually Wearing Nicolas Maduro’s Nike Sweatsuit On Air Force One

News

A new poll shows Secretary of State Marco Rubio leading a hypothetical 2028 Republican presidential primary to succeed President Donald Trump.
The survey, <a href="///Users/jacobwheeler/Downloads/Atlas%20Poll%20USA%20-%2005.07.2026%20-%20Google%20Slides.pdf">conducted by AtlasIntel</a> between May 4-7 among 2,069 American adults, found Rubio with 45.4% support, followed by Vice President JD Vance at 29.6%. 
The rest of the field trailed significantly.  
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Marco Rubio: 45.4%</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">JD Vance: 29.6% </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Ron DeSantis: 11.2% </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">None of the above 10.3%</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Vivek Ramaswamy: 1.4</li>
</ul>
The AtlasIntel poll is the first to show Rubio ahead, while broader polling still favors Vance.<a href="https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/president/republican-primary/2028/national"> RealClearPolitics</a>, a media company that aggregates national polling, shows the vice president holding a 20-point advantage over other potential candidates.
Rubio and Vance are widely seen as the most serious contenders to succeed Trump and shape the future of the MAGA movement.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-takes-a-spontaneous-2028-presidential-straw-poll-vance-or-rubio">Trump addressed the elephant in the room</a> at the White House on Monday, polling a crowd on whether they would prefer Vance or Rubio to run for president in 2028. 
“I don’t know. Who’s it going to be? Is it going to be JD? Is there going to be somebody else? I don’t know,” Trump told a group of law enforcement officials.
The kingmaker of GOP politics then asked the crowd who they thought should succeed him. 
“Who likes JD Vance? Who likes Marco Rubio? All right. Sounds like a good ticket,” Trump joked.
Applause from those in attendance appeared stronger for Vance, but Trump said he was not yet making any endorsements.
“By the way, I do believe that’s a dream team. But these are minor details. That does not mean you have my endorsement under any circumstance. But you know … I think it sounds like presidential candidate and vice presidential candidate,” Trump said. 
Rubio said last year that he would support Vance if the vice president decided to run for president. 
“If JD Vance runs for president, he’s going to be our nominee, and I’ll be one of the first people to support him,” Rubio <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/trump-susie-wiles-interview-exclusive-part-2?_sp=66ff928d-0547-4be8-9f21-3d5c5d7322ce.1773164665694">told</a> Vanity Fair in an interview. 
On the Democratic side, the field appears more divided and open-ended, with a democratic socialist leading the pack. 
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"> Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: 26%</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Pete Buttigieg: 22.4% </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Gavin Newsom: 21.2% </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Kamala Harris: 12.9% </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Andy Beshear: 4.1% </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Cory Booker: 3.9% </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">None Of The Above: 3.1%</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Josh Shapiro: 2.4%</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Gretchen Whitmer: 1.1%</li>
</ul>
Last Friday, AOC did not rule out a presidential run. 
“They assume that my ambition is a title or a seat, and my ambition is way bigger than that. My ambition is to change this country,” Ocasio-Cortez said in a conversation with Democratic strategist David Axelrod. “Presidents come and go … elected officials come and go, but single-payer healthcare is forever.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
AOC asked about a potential presidential run
&#8220;My ambition is to change this country.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/Pd770HL9JC">pic.twitter.com/Pd770HL9JC</a>
— Defiant L’s (@DefiantLs) <a href="https://twitter.com/DefiantLs/status/2053706667368337506?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2026</a></blockquote>

Trump Says Israel And Lebanon To Extend Ceasefire By Three Weeks

New Poll Throws Major Curveball In Race To Succeed Trump

2028 presidential election

Democrats

JD Vance

Poll

Republicans

President Donald Trump polled a crowd at the White House on Monday, asking if they would like to see Vice President JD Vance or Secretary of State Marco Rubio run for president in 2028. 
“I don&#8217;t know. Who&#8217;s it going to be? Is it going to be JD? Is there going to be somebody else? I don&#8217;t know,” Trump told a group of law enforcement officials at the White House on Monday. 
He then asked the crowd who they thought should succeed him. 
“Who likes JD Vance? Who likes Marco Rubio? All right. Sounds like a good ticket,&#8221; Trump asked. <iframe style="aspect-ratio: 9/16; max-width: 220px; display: flex; justify-content: center; width: 100%; margin: 20px auto 5px; border: 0;" src="https://player.mux.com/W01007vdoCbyUEav00Xgdz3QVhf8P344jIT?metadata-video-content-type=short&amp;metadata-video-id=f0e04c22-eb9c-41dd-9a3f-664834cdeea3&amp;metadata-video-stream-type=on-demand&amp;metadata-video-title=Trump%20holds%20a%20mini%202028%20election%20for%20his%20%E2%80%98dream%20team%E2%80%99%3A%20JD%20Vance%20or%20Marco%20Rubio%3F&amp;poster=https%3A%2F%2Fdailywireplus-v2.imgix.net%2Fimages%2Fshorts%2F94231d65-0a8f-4bbc-8daa-caa6bb8bf764.jpg&amp;autoplay=false&amp;accent-color=%23DB3D3B&amp;primary-color=%23ffffff&amp;secondary-color=%23000000" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Applause from those in attendance appeared to be louder for Vance, but Trump said he wasn’t making any endorsements yet. 
“By the way, I do believe that’s a dream team. But these are minor details. That does not mean you have my endorsement under any circumstance. But you know … I think it sounds like presidential candidate and vice presidential candidate,” Trump said. 
Rubio said last year that he would support Vance if the vice president decided to run for president. 
“If JD Vance runs for president, he’s going to be our nominee, and I’ll be one of the first people to support him,” he <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/trump-susie-wiles-interview-exclusive-part-2?_sp=66ff928d-0547-4be8-9f21-3d5c5d7322ce.1773164665694">told</a> Vanity Fair in an interview. 
That comment has not held off speculation that he may still make a presidential run, especially with his long list of responsibilities within the administration. 
Last year, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-reveals-who-will-most-likely-be-the-2028-republican-nominee">said</a> he believed that Vance would be the “most likely” 2028 GOP nominee. 
“Well, I think most likely, in all fairness,” Trump said when asked last August if MAGA would line up behind Vance in 2028. “He’s the vice president. I think Marco is also somebody that maybe would get together with JD in some form.”
Trump, however, did not fully endorse Vance at the time. 
“I also think we have incredible people, some of the people on the stage right here, so it’s too early obviously to talk about it,” he said. “But certainly, [Vance] is doing a great job, and he would be probably favored at this point.”

Trump Takes A Spontaneous 2028 Presidential Straw Poll: Vance Or Rubio?

U.S. Politics

Secretary of State Marco Rubio pushed back on reporters who wondered why there appeared to be less &#8220;cease&#8221; than &#8220;fire&#8221; in the ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran, saying that &#8220;only stupid countries&#8221; would allow an enemy to attack with impunity.
Rubio fielded questions from the press on Friday, saying that the United States was not engaging in any acts of aggression, but also was not going to let attacks from Iran go unanswered.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
SECRETARY RUBIO: Only stupid countries don’t shoot back when you’re shot at. And we’re not a stupid county.
The redline is clear – if Iranian boats threaten Americans, they’re going to get blown up.
🔥🔥🔥 <a href="https://t.co/hTl1TRLmJL">pic.twitter.com/hTl1TRLmJL</a>
— Department of State (@StateDept) <a href="https://twitter.com/StateDept/status/2052739106082361810?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I guess the point is there&#8217;s not much ceasing in the firing,&#8221; one reporter began, but Rubio stopped him before he could go any further.
&#8220;Well, you should ask that of the Iranians, don&#8217;t ask me,&#8221; Rubio shot back. &#8220;They fired on us. My point is, if you fire on a U.S. Navy ship, what are we supposed to do? Say, &#8216;Oh, there&#8217;s a ceasefire, we&#8217;re not going to shoot down your drone.&#8217; That&#8217;s a stupid question.&#8221;
&#8220;That&#8217;s a stupid position to take,&#8221; he repeated. &#8220;Of course we fired back at them, they were shooting at us. That&#8217;s what I would expect to do. Only stupid countries don’t shoot back when you’re shot at. And we’re not a stupid county.&#8221;
The reporter followed that up by asking whether or not Rubio had communicated with the Iranians, making it clear where any &#8220;red lines&#8221; might be.
Rubio&#8217;s answer was unequivocal: &#8220;No, the red line is clear: if they threaten Americans, they&#8217;re going to get blown up. I mean, that&#8217;s the — that&#8217;s — how much clearer can you be than that? If you fire on — if you are a missile-launching guy, whatever you call that job, and you&#8217;re sitting there and you fire a missile at the United States and we saw you fire it, we&#8217;re going to hit you. Of course we are!&#8221;
&#8220;Who doesn&#8217;t do that?&#8221; he asked. &#8220;Unless you want to get your ship sunk. We&#8217;re not going to let our ships get sunk by the Iranians with their little drones that they&#8217;re firing. You know, they don&#8217;t have a navy anymore, but they bring out these little Boston whaler fishing boats and they try to swarm you, we&#8217;re going to blow the boats up if they&#8217;re coming towards our boats.&#8221;
Rubio doubled down then, warning any Iranian who might receive an order to attack an American asset: &#8220;You&#8217;re probably not going to survive.&#8221;

US-VENEZUELA-CONFLICT-POLITICS-CONGRESS-RUBIO

Rubio: ‘We Aren’t A Stupid Country’

Iran war

Secretary of State Marco Rubio held face-to-face meetings with Pope Leo on Thursday as President Donald Trump remains critical of the pope&#8217;s position on the Iran war.
In Vatican City, Rubio, America&#8217;s top diplomat and a Roman Catholic, met with Pope Leo and Holy See Secretary of State Pietro Parolin to discuss issues such as the Middle East. A State Department official told The Daily Wire that &#8220;today&#8217;s conversations were friendly and constructive.&#8221;
&#8220;Secretary of State Marco Rubio met today with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV to discuss the situation in the Middle East and topics of mutual interest in the Western Hemisphere,&#8221; State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott <a href="https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2026/05/secretary-rubios-meeting-with-pope-leo-xiv/">said</a>. &#8220;The meeting underscored the strong relationship between the United States and the Holy See and their shared commitment to promoting peace and human dignity.&#8221;<iframe style="aspect-ratio: 9/16; max-width: 220px; display: flex; justify-content: center; width: 100%; margin: 20px auto 5px; border: 0;" src="https://player.mux.com/RMTDsb9XI826a85Kic7O02MfT7Hx9DR6r?metadata-video-content-type=short&amp;metadata-video-id=5affd718-0d57-4cf0-b89e-ca7ee6e24961&amp;metadata-video-stream-type=on-demand&amp;metadata-video-title=Rubio%20makes%20peace%20with%20Pope%20Leo%20XIV%20inside%20the%20Vatican&amp;poster=https%3A%2F%2Fdailywireplus-v2.imgix.net%2Fimages%2Fshorts%2F30318a23-322c-4ce8-9a57-6eb3e88036e3.jpg&amp;autoplay=false&amp;accent-color=%23DB3D3B&amp;primary-color=%23ffffff&amp;secondary-color=%23000000" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
The Holy See “exceeded expectations” in their welcoming of Secretary Rubio to the Vatican, a source familiar with the protocol told The Daily Wire, demonstrating “strong U.S.-Holy See ties.”
The Holy See also arranged for Rubio’s motorcade to enter through the Arch of Bells, which is usually reserved for the head of state or head of government — a special mark of respect for Rubio. The Vatican also sent the Prefect of the Papal Household, Archbishop Peter Rajik, to greet Rubio as the secretary of State arrived in the San Damaso Courtyard. Rubio was greeted by the full Swiss Honorary Guard who welcomed his delegation, the source familiar shared.
During the meeting, Rubio also discussed the United States&#8217; work with the Catholic Church and Caritas in Cuba with the Holy See leadership, according to the State Department official.
The meeting follows recent clashes between President Trump and the pope, whose outspoken criticism of the war against the Islamic Republic of Iran has drawn sharp rebukes from the president.
Ahead of Rubio&#8217;s meeting, Trump sent a &#8220;simple&#8221; message to the leader of the Catholic Church.
&#8220;As far as the Pope is concerned, it&#8217;s very simple. Whether I make him happy or I don&#8217;t make him happy: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/CatholicVote/status/2052108392060133721?s=20">Trump said</a>. &#8220;And he seemed to be saying that they can, and I say, they cannot.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
🚨 President Trump shares a &#8220;simple&#8221; message for Pope Leo ahead of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s meeting with the pontiff.
&#8220;As far as the Pope is concerned, it&#8217;s very simple. Whether I make him happy or I don&#8217;t make him happy: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/WfHKQZAMcJ">pic.twitter.com/WfHKQZAMcJ</a>
— CatholicVote (@CatholicVote) <a href="https://twitter.com/CatholicVote/status/2052108392060133721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
In an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKqngLaiqsE">interview</a> with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, the commander-in-chief said the pontiff&#8217;s position endangers Catholics.
“I think he&#8217;s endangering a lot of Catholics and a lot of people, but I guess if it&#8217;s up to the Pope, he thinks it&#8217;s just fine for Iran to have a nuclear weapon,&#8221; Trump asserted.
The American-born pope rejected that criticism, saying the mission of the church is to preach the Gospel of peace. 
“If someone wants to criticize me for proclaiming the Gospel, let him do so truthfully,&#8221; Leo said, <a href="https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-05/pope-leo-xiv-castel-gandolfo-press-nuclear-weapons.html">according to a Catholic news outlet</a>. &#8220;For years, the Church has spoken out against all nuclear weapons, so there is no doubt on that point.&#8221; 
Last month, Trump launched a broadside against the Pope, following a Sunday-night “<a href="https://x.com/60Minutes/status/2043471794074448140?s=20">60 Minutes</a>” episode featuring prominent American cardinals who offered several critiques of the Trump administration. 
Hours later, Trump slammed the Pope as “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.”
“I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon,” <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116394704213456431">Trump said on Truth Social</a>. “Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician.”
In a <a href="https://x.com/Acyn/status/2043498719270637656?s=20">gaggle with reporters</a>, the president piled on.
“I don’t think he’s doing a very good job. He likes crime I guess,” Trump said at Joint Base Andrews. “I’m not a big fan of Pope Leo. He’s a very liberal person.”
Pope Leo has not backed away from his criticism, though he has insisted he does not seek a political confrontation with the White House.
“I have no fear of the Trump administration or speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do, what the Church is here to do,” Leo told <a href="https://x.com/catholicourtney/status/2043619307993665935?s=20">reporters aboard the papal plane</a>. “We are not politicians. We don’t deal with foreign policy with the same perspective he might understand it, but I do believe in the message of the Gospel, as a peacemaker.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
In response to a personal attack by President Donald Trump the night before, Pope Leo told journalists on the papal plane to Algeria:
“I have no fear of the Trump administration or speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do, what… <a href="https://t.co/zV6FuacGSM">pic.twitter.com/zV6FuacGSM</a>
— Courtney Mares (@catholicourtney) <a href="https://twitter.com/catholicourtney/status/2043619307993665935?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
Thursday&#8217;s meeting between Rubio and Pope Leo suggests both sides may be looking to find common ground and shift towards private diplomacy over public attacks.
&#8220;We share with the Catholic Church a concern about the destruction of religious liberty, the persecution of Christian minorities, and also, you know, the challenges that are being faced by Christians in Africa,&#8221; Rubio said at a recent White House press briefing. &#8220;So the trip is really not tied to anything other than the fact that it would be normal for us to engage with them.&#8221;

How Rubio Is Smoothing Things Over With The Pope

Catholic Church

Iran

Pope Leo

Vatican

WASHINGTON—Secretary of State Marco Rubio will head to Rome this week to smooth things over with the Vatican amidst tensions between the United States and Pope Leo over the Holy Father&#8217;s criticisms of Operation Epic Fury.
Rubio&#8217;s visit to Italy will take place from Wednesday, May 6, to Friday, May 8, and is formally intended to &#8220;advance bilateral relations with Italy and the Vatican,&#8221; the State Department said on Monday, noting that Rubio will &#8220;meet with Holy See leadership to discuss the situation in the Middle East and mutual interests in the Western Hemisphere.&#8221; The Holy See says Rubio will meet privately with Pope Leo, who is the first pope from the United States. He will also meet with Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state.
The meeting comes amid high tensions between the White House and Pope Leo, who has repeatedly criticized President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration. The president has aggressively hit back at the pope, even suggesting that the Vatican chose him as a response to Trump&#8217;s presidency — and that &#8220;they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump.&#8221;
&#8220;If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican,&#8221; the president said in a fiery Truth Social post. Trump&#8217;s sentiment that Pope Leo was chosen to meet the second Trump administration, though generally considered to have been articulated too aggressively towards the head of the Catholic Church, is also widely held to be true.
The most recent bump in the road came in the form of Pope Leo&#8217;s appointment of a bishop to West Virginia: that bishop, <a href="http://t.co/mbCbdug0Fk">according to the Washington Post</a>, was illegally smuggled into the United States in the trunk of a car and has been vocal in his criticisms of the Trump administration&#8217;s immigration policies.
Things took a more hopeful turn of events when the pope downplayed reporter suggestions that he was warring with Trump, saying in late April that the &#8220;narrative that has not been accurate in all of its aspects&#8221; and that it was &#8220;not in my interest at all” to argue with Trump.
Vice President Vance took another step towards reconciliation with a social media post that praised the pope for his words: &#8220;I am grateful to Pope Leo for saying this. While the media narrative constantly gins up conflict — and yes, real disagreements have happened and will happen — the reality is often much more complicated.&#8221;
&#8220;Pope Leo preaches the gospel, as he should, and that will inevitably mean he offers his opinions on the moral issues of the day,&#8221; Vance added. &#8220;The President — and the entire administration — work to apply those moral principles in a messy world. He will be in our prayers, and I hope that we&#8217;ll be in his.&#8221;
<div class="wpds-c-PJLV article-body type-text subtype-from-the-source" data-qa="article-body">
Last May, both Rubio and Vice President JD Vance attended the pope&#8217;s inauguration and spoke privately with him. Vance led the delegation to Rome during that trip, on which they also extended an invitation to Pope Leo from President Donald Trump inviting the pope to the White House. This time around, Vance is staying home and is heading out to Iowa on Tuesday to message for the Trump administration.
Both Vance and Rubio are practicing Catholics and considered top contenders for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination: Vance is currently leading that field by wide margins, though Rubio has notably gained in popularity and name recognition in recent months. Some critics of the vice president are now arguing, in light of the visit, that Vance is being &#8220;<a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/vance-loses-out-to-rubio-in-major-diplomatic-snub/?utm_campaign=owned_social&amp;utm_medium=socialflow&amp;utm_source=twitter_owned_tdb&amp;via=twitter_page">sidelined</a>&#8221; from the conversations with Pope Leo.
</div>
Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation, doesn&#8217;t see it that way. Rubio&#8217;s meeting with the pope is just one &#8220;productive&#8221; step in what will hopefully be the healing of the relationship between the Holy Father and the White House, he suggested.
&#8220;I think ultimately it needs to be 3 people, but it&#8217;s very good that the Secretary of State is going,&#8221; he shared in a phone interview with The Daily Wire. Roberts, also a Catholic, stressed that the most important part of the dynamic is that Pope Leo and President Donald Trump meet and spend time together, &#8220;especially considering they&#8217;re both great leaders and great Americans.&#8221;
&#8220;In the meantime, I think the greatest tag team, for the conservative movement internationally, is Vice President Vance and Secretary Rubio,&#8221; he said. &#8220;So, no doubt, Rubio will have a great productive congenial visit with the Holy Father, and no doubt, at some point, the vice president will visit the Holy Father again, and no doubt, at some point, the president and Holy Father will visit again.&#8221;
Tensions escalated in early April when the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inside-the-infamous-meeting-between-the-vatican-and-the-pentagon?author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=7&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Inside+The+Infamous+Meeting+Between+The+Vatican+And+The+Pentagon">Free Press published an &#8220;exposé&#8221; describing</a> a reportedly contentious January meeting between a Vatican diplomat and Pentagon officials. The report, citing unnamed sources, claimed that the Pentagon&#8217;s Elbridge Colby summoned Cardinal Christophe Pierre, then the Vatican’s Apostolic Nuncio, chastised him and insisted the United States “has the military power to do whatever it wants — and that the Church had better take its side.”
Notably, the story claimed that Colby invoked the Avignon Papacy, a period in the 14th century in which the Holy See moved from Rome to France, where a series of popes were largely bent to the will of the French monarchy. It also cast Colby as belonging to “a cadre of Catholic and ostensibly dovish officials” allied with Vice President JD Vance, who are “struggling to reconcile their isolationist instincts with the aggressive posture of a president who, within a single year, has bombed eight countries — with no sign of stopping.”
Allies of the vice president and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dont-fall-prey-to-claims-the-trump-administration-wants-to-bomb-the-vatican">some conservative commentators</a> took the story as a sign that Vance&#8217;s critics sought to ostracize Vance from Catholicism, just war, and Pope Leo himself. The Vatican, the Pentagon, and the American Ambassador to the Holy See all denied the Free Press report, saying it was cordial and respectful.
Michael Caputo, a longtime Catholic and advisor to President Donald Trump, reflected that both Vance and Rubio bring a different flavor of Catholicism to the table. Vance, a new convert, brings fresh perspective and evangelical zeal. Rubio was baptized Catholic as a baby, spent a few years in the LDS church in Las Vegas as a child, and returned to the Catholic Church by his early teens.
Caputo stumbled on Rubio&#8217;s memoir &#8220;American Son&#8221; during a particularly dark period when he was being targeted by the Biden DOJ, and he was incredibly impressed by Rubio&#8217;s reverence for the Catholic sacraments. That one specific chapter of &#8220;American Son&#8221; &#8220;drew me into my faith as Russia gate sucked my family in,&#8221; he shared.
&#8220;Marco and JD are two very different Catholics and Catholicism needs them both,&#8221; said Caputo. But he argued that it is &#8220;Marco Rubio’s deep and binding understanding of the sacraments and the role they played in connecting people to Christ&#8221; that &#8220;will make a difference as he comes to the Vatican.&#8221;
Rubio has cautioned respect for the Vatican, encouraging the public to see the office not as political but as spiritual.
&#8220;I understand there’s this temptation to cover the papacy as a political office,&#8221; Rubio <a href="https://www.state.gov/secretary-of-state-marco-rubio-remarks-to-the-press-4">told reporters in May 2025</a> of the pope. &#8220;It is not a political office. It is a spiritual office, and it is one that – it has social teachings that are aligned with the faith and with the gospel.&#8221;
But he has also been unafraid to point out when the Vatican&#8217;s public posture on issues like immigration does not match its own actions.
&#8220;I don’t mean this to be snarky, but the Vatican has rules about who can come in and who can stay,&#8221; he noted that same day. &#8220;So every place has that. It’s just — it’s what you do to protect your sovereignty.&#8221;
Rubio was also formerly the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere and has spent much of his career focused on that hemisphere — as has Pope Leo. Though the pope is from Chicago, he has been heavily focused on Latin America.
That means there is a &#8220;common language between the two men,&#8221; Caputo stressed, &#8220;a deep and abiding concern for the hemisphere,&#8221; a granular level of understanding of the region, and it makes Rubio the right guy for Pope Leo to be talking to.
The pope has repeatedly condemned the war with Iran, saying in late April aboard a flight back to Rome, &#8220;As a pastor, I cannot be in favor of war,&#8221; and &#8220;I would like to encourage everyone to make efforts to look for answers that come from a culture of peace and not from a place of hate and division.&#8221;
His previous remarks on the war in Iran prompted President Donald Trump to publicly scold him and accuse him of being &#8220;WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.&#8221;
&#8220;I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a Country that was sending massive amounts of Drugs into the United States and, even worse, emptying their prisons, including murderers, drug dealers, and killers, into our Country. And I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do, setting Record Low Numbers in Crime, and creating the Greatest Stock Market in History.&#8221;
&#8220;I have no intention of getting into a debate,&#8221; Leo said in response in late April.
Catholics in the U.S. are also sensitive to the fact that the pope has said he has no plans to return to the United States to celebrate the country&#8217;s 250th anniversary.
&#8220;He has as much work to do as our friends who are public officials in the United States, in fact, I would strongly encourage him as a Roman Catholic and as an American, to visit the United States, his native country during America 250,&#8221; Roberts told The Daily Wire. &#8220;A lot of us conservative Catholics are slighted that the 1st American pope doesn&#8217;t have any plans to visit us this year.&#8221;

Rubio Pope

Rubio Heads To Rome To Make Peace With The Pope

The Vatican

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has added yet another title to his growing list of jobs: wedding deejay.
Rubio, who inspired thousands of memes as President Donald Trump persisted in heaping more and more responsibilities onto his plate, was caught on video — initially shared by Trump Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino — as he took a turn behind the turntables at a family wedding.
<div style="max-width: 728px; margin: 0 auto;">  <iframe style="aspect-ratio: 9/16; max-width: 220px; display: flex; justify-content: center; width: 100%; margin: 20px auto 5px; border: 0;" src="https://player.mux.com/I6ioZK5tXA01oPIzSr29U35kk00qVh02J0001?metadata-video-content-type=short&amp;metadata-video-id=906ed112-d2ef-4c53-95d5-a8d2b6635473&amp;metadata-video-stream-type=on-demand&amp;metadata-video-title=Marco%20Rubio%20adds%20DJ%20to%20his%20resume%20after%20taking%20over%20at%20a%20family%20wedding&amp;poster=https%3A%2F%2Fdailywireplus-v2.imgix.net%2Fimages%2Fshorts%2Fdfa58b14-611e-43fd-8e3f-ce96052ffce6.jpg&amp;autoplay=false&amp;accent-color=%23DB3D3B&amp;primary-color=%23ffffff&amp;secondary-color=%23000000" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>
Rubio has held several official jobs within the Trump administration, where he was initially confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as Secretary of State on January 20, 2025. By February 3, however, he had already been handed his second role: Acting Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Later that same month, when Trump fired the archivist at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), Rubio slid into the role of Acting Archivist.
In the months since, Rubio has been nicknamed The Secretary of Everything — and thousands of memes have depicted him doing everything from Cuba&#8217;s new leader to a minesweeper in the Strait of Hormuz.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Marco Rubio preparing to run Cuba after the U.S takes control. <a href="https://t.co/YKYJy3Hp4s">pic.twitter.com/YKYJy3Hp4s</a>
— Planet Of Memes (@PlanetOfMemes) <a href="https://twitter.com/PlanetOfMemes/status/2050385947175289314?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Rubio on his way to the strait of Hormuz to locate Irans lost underwater mines 😂 <a href="https://t.co/p91fFGk0Wm">pic.twitter.com/p91fFGk0Wm</a>
— Politi_Rican 🇵🇷 𝕏 🇺🇸 (@TheRicanMemes) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRicanMemes/status/2042787254590927134?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Rubio has leaned into the memes, and even used them to play a few practical jokes of his own. The day after White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt began her maternity leave, for example, Rubio popped into the press room to take a photo of himself posing as the &#8220;Acting Press Secretary.&#8221; Prompting laughter around the room, he asked the reporters who witnessed the gag to refrain from posting anything until he&#8217;d had the chance to share the joke with the person for whom it was meant.
&#8220;I&#8217;m just here to take a quick picture &#8230; you&#8217;re going to ruin my joke,&#8221; he complained. &#8220;You guys can&#8217;t put this out, is that okay? &#8230; Can you guys hold for at least an hour, please, or you&#8217;re going to ruin the joke &#8230; it&#8217;s not a joke on the public, it&#8217;s a joke on one person.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 LMFAO! Marco Rubio just walked into the press briefing room to pretend he’d been appointed White House Press Secretary, as Karoline Leavitt’s on maternity leave
Can’t help but love this guy 🤣
NOBODY would be surprised if it was true! 😂 <a href="https://t.co/bqwe8tacKI">pic.twitter.com/bqwe8tacKI</a>
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) <a href="https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/2049575801482359227?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Marco Rubio Adds Another Job Title To His Resume

Memes

Diplomats from Israel and Lebanon are set to meet today for a second round of face-to-face negotiations, as both sides weigh whether a fragile ceasefire can be extended and potentially transformed into a longer-term framework for peace.
The meeting comes as tensions remain high, with Israeli officials accusing Hezbollah of repeatedly violating the ceasefire. A recent Israeli strike targeting what it said was a threat to troops reportedly resulted in journalist casualties.
The talks, hosted by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, will bring together senior U.S. and regional officials, including U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, Counselor Michael Needham, Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter, and Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad.
Lebanon is reportedly seeking a one-month extension of the current ceasefire.
The current agreement was announced by President Donald Trump as a 10-day pause that took effect at 5 p.m. ET on April 16, following calls with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It allows Israel to take self-defense measures while requiring Lebanon to prevent Hezbollah from “carrying out attacks, operations, or hostile activities against Israeli targets.”
While Lebanese authorities have long sought to disarm Hezbollah, the Iran-backed group remains one of the most powerful political and military forces in the country. At the same time, it has been significantly weakened since launching attacks on Israel in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, assault. Israel’s response—an extensive air campaign and ground invasion—killed longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah and degraded much of the group’s operational capacity.
Trump has emphasized that the arrangement is separate from broader U.S. efforts involving Iran.
“This deal is in no way subject to Lebanon, either, but the USA will, separately, work with Lebanon, and deal with the Hezbollah situation in an appropriate manner,” Trump said last week. “Israel will not be bombing Lebanon any longer. They are PROHIBITED from doing so by the U.S.A. Enough is enough!!!”
Despite the diplomatic push, tensions on the ground remain high. Israel has accused Hezbollah of violating the ceasefire multiple times and recently conducted a strike against terrorists in vehicles it says approached Israeli troops “in a manner that posed an immediate threat to their safety.” In response, the Israeli air force struck one of the vehicles, and a structure the individuals fled into.
The strike reportedly also resulted in the death of journalist Amal Khalil, who worked for the pro-Hezbollah outlet Al Akhbar, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency. Another photojournalist was reportedly injured.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned the incident, writing on X that “targeting journalists and obstructing the access of rescue teams to them, and then the renewed targeting of those teams after they’d arrived, constitute described war crimes.” 

The Israeli military acknowledged that two journalists were injured in the strike, but denied deliberately targeting media personnel.
The first round of talks, held on April 14, was described by the State Department as “productive,” raising cautious optimism for continued diplomacy. U.S. officials have said a sustained agreement could unlock significant reconstruction assistance for Lebanon, help stabilize its economy, and expand regional investment opportunities.
Lebanese officials have stressed the importance of fully implementing the cessation of hostilities agreement, alongside addressing the country’s worsening humanitarian crisis. Israel has expressed a willingness “to engage in direct negotiations to resolve all outstanding issues and achieve a durable peace that will strengthen security, stability, and prosperity in the region.”
The negotiations mark the most significant high-level engagement between Israel and Lebanon since 1993 and are seen as a potential stepping stone toward formal diplomatic talks between the two countries.
On the ground, Israeli forces remain in southern Lebanon as part of efforts to push Hezbollah away from the border. Hezbollah, meanwhile, has refused to disarm unless Israel fully withdraws, though it has largely adhered to the ceasefire while publicly opposing the negotiations.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/israel-restores-damaged-christian-statue-in-lebanon-punishes-soldiers-responsible?author=Hank+Berrien&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=5&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=After+Jesus+Statue+Is+Vandalized%2C+Israel+Takes+Swift+Action">Controversy erupted</a> in recent days after an Israeli soldier damaged a statue of Jesus in the southern Lebanese village of Debel, prompting swift condemnation and a formal response from the Israel Defense Forces.
In a statement on X, the IDF expressed “deep regret,” calling the act a “moral failure” that contradicts its core values. The soldier responsible, along with the individual who filmed the incident, has been removed from combat duty and sentenced to 30 days of military detention. Additional troops present have been called in for review, with the Chief of the General Staff stating the conduct “far exceeds any acceptable standard.”
The IDF replaced the statue in “full coordination” with the local Christian community.

Golan Heights .Israel .Border

What To Know As Israel And Lebanon Enter Another Round Of High-Stakes Negotiations

Hezbollah

Israel

Lebanon

World

You&#8217;ve been lied to.
You&#8217;ve been hearing for weeks now from all of the doubters, all of the so-called “panicans.” But here is what you are not going to hear anywhere else: not just that President Trump is winning in Iran, but why he is winning.
He came in with four goals. He has now achieved three of them, and the fourth is on the way.
Iran had three methods of resistance. President Trump has basically eliminated two of them. And the third is about to end.
People keep assuming that the goal of the war in Iran was regime change. No. Regime change is a means; it is not the actual end. In a certain sense, if the regime were to change its behavior dramatically, you wouldn&#8217;t need to change the regime.
Yes, if there were to be a regime change, it would pretty much achieve all the goals all at once. 
But you don&#8217;t have to achieve all of the goals of the war with regime change.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/bss-ep-2408?elementPosition=2&amp;row=5&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-974957" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp" alt="DailyWire+" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-300x50.webp 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-768x128.webp 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1536x256.webp 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-2048x341.webp 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
The president and Secretary of State Marco Rubio <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2039408073039630728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2039408073039630728%7Ctwgr%5Eb81529da64e58116a12923b7165a9b8bf97313a6%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.whitehouse.gov%2Freleases%2F2026%2F04%2Fpresident-trumps-clear-and-unchanging-objectives-drive-decisive-success-against-iranian-regime%2F">laid out the goals</a>:
<ol>
<li>Destroy the vast majority of Iran&#8217;s forward military capacity. Done. We have defenestrated their foreign military capacity, their missile base is basically gone. Their air force, gone. Their navy, gone.</li>
<li>Wipe out their defense industrial base. Done. The United States and Israel have wiped out their steel foundries. They have hit all of their missile factories. They have hit their missile launchers.</li>
<li>Keep Iran’s economy in a stranglehold, while depriving it of the means to rebuild. Done. The Iranian economy is defunct. Nothing has been getting in.</li>
<li>End the Iranian nuclear threat. Pending. </li>
</ol>
Three of those four have basically been done. It&#8217;s the Iranian nuclear threat that remains on the table.
Okay, say the panicans and the liars, but somehow Iran has gotten stronger.
This is what we might call the Obi-Wan Kenobi theory of foreign policy: “If you strike me down, I will become more powerful than you could possibly imagine.”
It doesn&#8217;t work that way in real life. When you strike someone down, they usually stay down. And if they recover, you can strike them down again. 
The spirit of Iran is not going to teach Luke Skywalker how to blow up the Death Star. That&#8217;s not how this works. It is not clear how you get stronger by being alienated from every single country in the region, from Jews to Muslims, or how, somehow, you&#8217;re getting stronger if all your leaders are dead and you&#8217;re walking around as a regime pretending that an impotent, comatose dude with no leg is your actual leader: “Weekend at Mullahs.”
Or how you get stronger when your missile launch capacity has been so degraded, so radically degraded, that you&#8217;re being forced to physically unbury the missile launchers you buried. 
They buried a bunch of missile launchers to hide them, and now they&#8217;re being forced to unbury them just so they have something to shoot.
We can see them doing that; if there&#8217;s another round here, we will just blow those up, too.
How do you get stronger if your navy is at the bottom of the sea or if your Air Force, which was a bunch of Vietnam-era crap, is now a bunch of shrapnel? How are you stronger when your economy is totally nonexistent, when in a few weeks you&#8217;re not going to have money to pay your IRGC thugs?
Okay, fine, say the panicans and the liars; The Iranians will still win. They will win by outlasting us.
Staying alive isn&#8217;t winning unless we&#8217;re doing “The Hunger Games,” which we&#8217;re not.
To take a similar example: Is Cuba winning right now?
The Cuban communist regime has survived. Are they winning or are they on their last legs? It’s pretty clear they are losing.
And so is the regime in Tehran. The regime in Tehran had three methods of resistance, and they’ve been building all three for years and years.
First, the so-called “Axis of Resistance.” This included all the terror proxies they placed throughout the region, from Hamas to Hezbollah to the Houthis to terror groups in Iraq. All of those members of the “Axis of Resistance” were supposed to be Iran’s forward army. That was their forward capacity.
But since October 7, 2023, Israel has steadily degraded or destroyed that forward capacity.
Hamas is stuck in a small section of Gaza. They may be trying to rebuild, but it won’t matter. Israel will go in and blow them up again. Hezbollah has been greatly reduced as a power in the region, and now it is in danger of complete evisceration. The Houthis could have acted at any time during this war, but they didn’t, and they didn’t for a reason. They knew that if they had, they would have been obliterated.
So the terror proxies Iran had been funding for generations were basically defenestrated. That was their first mode of striking back.
Second was the nuclear program, which they were attempting to develop. They were racing toward a nuclear bomb to protect their regime. That is what caused all of this to happen. If they had given up their nuclear program years ago, they would have had normalized relations with a lot of different countries. The sanctions would not be on them. But they decided they were going to race forward with their nuclear program, and they got the hell bombed out of them.
Third: the Strait of Hormuz. Shutting that down was supposed to be their trump card. That was supposed to stop everything.
And this is where all of the panicans and all of the liars and the people who hate Trump and hate Israel and all the rest started saying, “The Iranians really showed you. They shut the Strait of Hormuz!”
It’s open now.
Remember that time when they said that we would never be able to open the Strait?
What did we do? We said if you close it, we are going to stop all ships going in and out of Iranian ports, and then you won&#8217;t have an economy, and you’ll be dead in the water.
Guess what? Within a week and a half, they opened the strait.
They stopped messing around in the strait because they didn&#8217;t have the forward operating capacity. Their navy was, in fact, at the bottom of the sea. The Persian Gulf was littered with the hulks of their ships. The reality is that they used their pathetic mine-laying capacities — and I say pathetic because they were actually just putting mines in the water and losing them out there — and we are now de-mining the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump wrote, “I received a call from NATO asking if we would need some help. I told them to stay away unless they just want to load up their ships with oil. They were useless when needed. A paper tiger.”
Fact.
What really happened here is that the Strait of Hormuz closing hurt the Chinese far more than it hurt us. The Chinese presumably brought pressure to bear via Pakistan on the Iranians, and the Iranians decided to open the Strait.
Not only that, oil prices have now plunged dramatically. We&#8217;ve been told that that was the chief element that was somehow going to undermine the war.
Nope.
President Trump is winning, big-time.
And don’t let the panicans and liars convince you otherwise.

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