President Donald Trump experienced an awkward moment during a Shield of the Americas meeting on Tuesday when he asked for the location of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was seated immediately beside him. "Where is Marco? Where is Marco?" Trump inquired at the outset of the gathering.
Rubio responded, "Right here," while raising a finger, prompting chuckles from attendees. Trump then acknowledged his presence, stating, "There’s Marco! He’s never very far away."
Rubio had joined Trump at the table but paused before sitting, signaling to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to take a seat on Trump's other side. Rubio had been seated next to the president for approximately 40 seconds before Trump's inquiry.
Earlier the same day, Trump addressed the United Nations General Assembly, predicting that Cuba "will fall." This statement led to the Cuban delegation walking out of the assembly.
At the Shield of the Americas meeting, Trump commented on Cuba's current state, saying it was "not looking so good." He then suggested an unconventional method for Rubio, whose parents were born in Cuba, to become involved. "We’re going to someday, in the near future, drop him off in the middle of Cuba," Trump said. "Just on the way back from Iran, we’re gonna have one of those big, beautiful aircraft carriers fly him in, drop him off, and he’ll figure out the rest. He always does."