Marco Rubio memes explode as AI edits imagine him taking over White House press briefings

WASHINGTON, DC: Secretary of State Marco Rubio is once again finding himself at the center of an internet meme storm, this time with AI-generated images imagining him taking over the White House press secretary podium.

The latest wave of memes appeared on X on Wednesday, August 12, with users sharing edited images of Rubio wearing dresses and suits while standing behind the podium. The jokes emerged as Karoline Leavitt announced her decision to step down, giving social media users a fresh reason to imagine Rubio taking on another responsibility.

Marco Rubio becomes the internet's imaginary press secretary

The AI edits took a playful approach to Rubio's growing list of responsibilities, with several images making it look as though the secretary of state had somehow been handed the White House press secretary job as well.

Some versions showed Rubio behind the familiar White House podium, while others put him in outfits that made the edits even more exaggerated.

One post joked about Rubio discovering that he had received yet another assignment.

Another post made a similar joke about Rubio taking on the role.

The jokes were largely treated as lighthearted takes on the secretary of state rather than serious claims about a change in his role.

Rubio had already stepped into the spotlight for White House briefings during Leavitt’s maternity leave, making the latest memes an easy fit for social media. Her announcement that she would leave the press secretary position added another layer to the joke.

Marco Rubio's couch meme gets a new AI makeover

The latest AI edits built on an earlier viral joke surrounding Rubio.

Months ago, a photo of Rubio appearing to sink into a White House couch during President Donald Trump’s tense Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky became a major internet sensation. 

His awkward-looking posture quickly turned into a running joke, with social media users creating different versions of the image.

Rubio later admitted that he was not a fan of the original photo.

Marco Rubio turned an awkward viral moment into a White House inside joke

“I hated that picture!” Rubio said.

He explained that the couch itself was partly to blame for the way he looked.

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

But what Rubio initially disliked eventually became an inside joke among White House staff.

“Then it turned into this other thing, it's funny,” he said.

He also revealed that White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino had embraced the meme, creating a board featuring different versions of the viral images.

“Dan Scavino made a whole board for me, and he's updated it with all the different pictures,” Rubio said.