Senator Marco Rubio recently addressed a viral photograph that has generated numerous memes, depicting him appearing to sink into a couch in the Oval Office. The image, captured during a meeting in February 2025 involving President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has been frequently doctored and resurfaces whenever a new potential role for Rubio is discussed.
Rubio, speaking on Fox News, stated that he initially disliked the photo. He explained that the appearance of him sinking into the couch was due to the absence of a pillow behind his back, which caused him to slump. "When it first came out, I hated that picture," Rubio said. "What happened is, on that couch, if you don’t have a pillow behind your back, you kind of sink."
He recalled looking at the initial pictures and thinking they were unflattering. "So I looked at the pictures, ‘Oh, this is terrible. I look like, whatever.’ And then it turned into this other thing. It was fine, and it’s funny."
While he does not actively track the memes, Rubio acknowledged that others have shown him various iterations. He also revealed that White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino had created a display featuring many of the meme variations.