Marco Rubio has a that's-my-girl moment as daughter Daniella charms the crowd with her speech

WASHINGTON, DC: Secretary of State Marco Rubio found himself in an unusual position at a Washington gathering on Friday, November 13, as he took a step back and let his daughter Daniella introduce him to the audience.

Judging by his reaction, he could not have been more pleased with how she handled the moment.

The visibly proud father had plenty to say about her confidence, natural public-speaking abilities and promising future in the legal profession.

Marco Rubio showers daughter with praise

The spotlight at the Federalist Society's National Lawyers Convention briefly belonged to Daniella Rubio, who stepped up to introduce her father before his Barbara K Olson Memorial Lecture.

A third-year student at the University of Virginia School of Law, Daniella used the introduction to talk about her father's roots as the child of immigrants and the values he had carried into his family life through his commitment to America.

Her father, however, seemed more interested in celebrating her than getting on with his address.

The moment he took the microphone, Rubio turned to the audience with an enthusiastic, "Was that cool or what?"

He then confessed that he was still trying to figure out where Daniella had inherited her confidence.

"I don't know where she got this," he said, admiring how effortlessly she had spoken before the gathering.

Rubio even admitted that his daughter had an advantage over him when it came to addressing a crowd.

"I don't really like public speaking that much, but she, on the other hand — that's fantastic," he said.

He also took a trip down memory lane, recalling how he would bring his children along to appearances and proudly introduce them to audiences. The roles have adorably reversed now.

Marco Rubio says daughter will be a 'real lawyer'

Rubio and his daughter also share an interest in law, although he was quick to make fun of his own career path.

After graduating from the University of Miami School of Law, he went on to specialize in land-use and zoning law.

He joked that if a lawyer in that field ever ended up arguing a case in court, "something went horribly wrong."

Daniella, according to her father, was preparing for a much more traditional legal career.

"She, on the other hand, is going to be like a real lawyer," he said, drawing laughter from the room.

Rubio also slipped in a joke about her tuition, saying he hoped the University of Virginia was worth the money because it was an expensive law school.

Asked how parents could teach their children to value freedom, Rubio offered a humorous account of family life, with Daniella cited as an example.

"Well, my home is not a democracy," he said. He then made clear that he did not consider himself the dictator, instead describing his place in the household as "the minister of defense".

Marco Rubio and his wife, Jeanette, have four children together: daughters Amanda and Daniella, and sons Anthony and Dominick.

Despite Rubio's long career in the political spotlight, the couple has generally chosen to keep their children's lives private, with only occasional glimpses of their family dynamics emerging through his public appearances and interviews.