During a tense Oval Office meeting between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s body language became the unexpected焦点 of attention. Sitting slumped beside Vice President J.D. Vance, Rubio’s posture and pained expression drew widespread scorn on social media. Critics likened him to a character from ‘Pee-Wee’s Playhouse,’ with one person comparing him to the stuffed lounge chair ‘Chairy.’
Allison Gill, founder of ‘Mueller, She Wrote,’ called Rubio’s performance ‘a global embarrassment,’ while The Onion’s Amy Ash shared a photo captioning it as resembling her dog when asked what’s in its mouth. Labor journalist Kim Kelly joked that Rubio looked like someone who had just been scolded by their mom for wetting the bed.
Florida journalist Grant Stern took the mockery further, declaring, ‘Marco Rubio was Tragically Born Without A Spine,’ and shared a photo of Rubio as evidence. Santiago Mayer, executive director of Voters of Tomorrow, added, ‘If Marco Rubio had a spine he would resign before the end of the day.’ Comedian Michael Ian Black simply asked, ‘Marco Rubio was there?’ while journalist Steven Beschloss questioned Rubio’s decision to serve under Trump, asking if he enjoyed throwing away his dignity.
Wall Street Journal reporter Vera Bergengruen highlighted the contrast between Rubio’s body language during the meeting and his later tweet thanking Trump for prioritizing America. The tweet read, ‘Thank you, @POTUS for standing up for America in a way that no President has ever had the courage to do before. Thank you for putting America First. America is with you!’ This response drew further criticism from Jimmy Rushton, a Kyiv-based analyst, who pointed out that other presidents have fought wars to defend America.
A recent Quinnipiac University poll revealed that 80% of Americans believe Russian President Vladimir Putin should not be trusted. Meanwhile, the video of Rubio’s awkward performance in the Oval Office has been widely shared and mocked online.