In a significant move following the dramatic capture of former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, President Donald Trump has positioned Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the heart of the United States' strategy to shape Venezuela's future. This decision has triggered a flood of online reactions, with netizens humorously exaggerating Rubio's expanding list of duties far beyond his official role.
Rubio's Central Role in Post-Maduro Venezuela
According to a report from Bloomberg, President Trump has asked Marco Rubio to "lead the process to implement economic and political reforms in Venezuela." This directive was confirmed by White House senior adviser Stephen Miller to reporters on Monday. Miller stated that the administration believes it has secured "full, complete and total" cooperation from the Venezuelan government in Caracas in the wake of Maduro's arrest.
Trump emphasized that Rubio would undertake this crucial task "under the president's close guidance and direction." The Secretary of State will head a specialized team comprising officials focused on critical areas such as energy, financial policy, and military affairs. This new responsibility adds to a growing portfolio of high-profile roles Rubio has accumulated during Trump's second term, a combination that has made him a frequent subject of memes and jokes across social media platforms.
The "Secretary of Everything": Rubio's Expanding Influence
Marco Rubio has evolved into one of the most powerful figures within President Trump's assertive and complex foreign policy framework. The 54-year-old former Florida senator was first appointed as Secretary of State, assuming the office on January 21, 2025 after receiving unanimous confirmation from the Senate.
Since then, his responsibilities have multiplied remarkably. In addition to his primary diplomatic duties, Rubio has also served as the interim national security adviser, acting National Archivist, and acting administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). This accumulation of titles led The New York Times to famously dub him the "Secretary of Everything."
This consolidation of roles grants Rubio an unusual level of influence for a modern Secretary of State. Beyond his traditional diplomatic work, he has overseen national security matters temporarily and coordinated broader U.S. policies across the administration. The last time a similar dual role was observed was in the 1970s when Henry Kissinger simultaneously served as national security adviser and secretary of state.
Within Trump's inner circle, Rubio is now the undisputed central figure on Venezuela, a region he has focused on for decades. As a Cuban American lawmaker during his Senate career, Rubio spent nearly three decades advocating against the abuses under the regimes of both Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro, making opposition to Caracas a signature issue. This policy strongly resonates in his home state of Florida, which is home to many Venezuelan and Cuban American families, including Rubio's own, who sought refuge from authoritarian governments.
Netizens React with Humour and AI-Generated Memes
The internet has responded with characteristic humour to Rubio's ever-growing list of duties. Even mainstream media personalities have joined in. The host of CBS humorously chronicled "the many lives and many jobs of Marco Rubio," noting that regardless of one's political views, his resume is undeniably impressive.
Social media platforms are now flooded with AI-generated images that playfully cast Secretary Rubio in a myriad of improbable roles. Users have depicted him as everything from the new governor of Minnesota and the prime minister of Greenland to the manager of Manchester United, the head of Hilton Hotels, and even the Michelin Man.
These viral images reflect a tongue-in-cheek commentary on his highly visible and multifaceted presence in both the Trump administration's foreign policy and its domestic positioning. One popular post featured a classic image of Rubio in the White House with text joking about his appointment as Minnesota's governor. Others followed with creative AI visuals and captions such as "Rubio finding out he's got to run Iran, Venezuela, Minnesota, and Hilton."
The online satire underscores the extraordinary scope of responsibilities entrusted to Marco Rubio as the United States navigates a pivotal moment in Venezuela's history following the capture of its former leader.
