Marco Rubio laughs off viral couch meme after admitting, 'I hated that picture'

WASHINGTON, DC: Secretary of State Marco Rubio is finally weighing in on one of the internet's favorite political memes.

Months after a photo of him appearing to sink into a White House couch went viral, Rubio admitted he never liked the image, saying it made him "look terrible" before revealing that the meme has since become an inside joke among White House staff.

His comments come after the image became one of the most widely shared moments from President Donald Trump's tense Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, where Rubio's body language drew almost as much attention as the heated exchange itself. 

Marco Rubio reacts to viral couch meme

Rubio did not hide his feelings when asked about the meme. "I hated that picture!" he said. Explaining why the image looked the way it did, Rubio joked that the couch itself was to blame.

"In that couch, if you don't have a pillow, you kind of sink. I look terrible!" he said.

What began as an awkward-looking photograph soon took on a life of its own across social media, with users creating countless versions of the image and turning Rubio's posture into an internet joke.

Rather than ignoring it, Rubio said he eventually found humor in the situation. "Then it turned into this other thing, it's funny," he said.

He also revealed that White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino embraced the moment in an unexpected way. "Dan Scavino made a whole board for me, and he's updated it with all the different pictures," Rubio said.

Marco Rubio goes viral during Oval Office meeting

The image originated during President Donald Trump's high-profile Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, where Trump and Vice President JD Vance engaged in a tense exchange with the Ukrainian leader.

Rubio remained largely silent throughout the meeting, but his posture on the couch quickly became a talking point online.

Many viewers focused on his expression and body language, interpreting it as discomfort while the confrontation unfolded.

The moment also became a topic of discussion on MSNBC's 'Morning Joe', where co-host Joe Scarborough argued that Rubio appeared visibly uneasy during the meeting.

Scarborough described it as a "soul-crushing" moment for Rubio and suggested his reaction became most noticeable after Zelensky was questioned about his decision not to wear a suit.

"So many deeply-disturbing things about that meeting, but, you don't have to take that from me," Scarborough said. "Just look at Marco Rubio: slouched on the couch."

Panelist Jonathan Lemire echoed that observation, saying Rubio looked like he "wanted to disappear into the couch itself" during the exchange.

Marco Rubio memes fuel online buzz

The viral memes all follow the same joke: Rubio appears unhappy as he realizes he has been handed yet another unexpected job.

Each edited image places him in the attire of a completely different role tied to a recent headline.

One widely shared post shows Rubio wearing a Manchester United football kit with the caption, "Marco Rubio finding out he's now the manager of Manchester United."

Another meme depicts Rubio in traditional Greenland-style clothing with the caption, "Rubio realizing he has to be Governor [sic] of Greenland." 

Meanwhile, one meme featured an edited image of Rubio wearing an orange outfit and carrying a firearm alongside the text, "Rubio realizing he has to be the Governor of Minnesota."

One meme shows Rubio wearing a Union Jack shirt and holding a UK flag alongside the caption, "Marco realizing he has to be the next UK PM."

Combined with the Trump administration's recent operation in Venezuela, the fast-moving news cycle has fueled the joke that Rubio keeps ending up with yet another unexpected responsibility.