Trump slammed for saying people should 'blame' Marco Rubio if anything goes wrong: 'What a bully!'

WASHINGTON, DC: Donald Trump has never been one to shy away from roasting people in his circle, and his latest target appears to be other than Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

During his joint session speech on Tuesday, March 4, the President made sure the world knew exactly who to blame if his administration’s bold move to reclaim the Panama Canal didn’t go as planned.

Donald Trump roasts Marco Rubio over Panama Canal

Donald Trump didn’t hold back when discussing America’s push to take back control of the Panama Canal. "The Panama Canal was built by Americans for Americans, not for others. But others could use it. But it was built at a tremendous cost of American blood and treasure," Trump declared.

"It was given away by the Carter administration for one dollar. But that agreement has been violated very severely. We didn’t give it to China, we gave it to Panama, and we’re taking it back," he added.

But instead of taking full ownership of the high-stakes plan, he made sure to name one person who’d take the fall if things went sideways. “And we have Marco Rubio in charge. Good luck, Marco. Now we know who to blame if anything goes wrong,” Trump quipped, as Republican lawmakers burst into laughter.

Social media wasted no time reacting to Trump’s words, with many pointing out how Rubio looked absolutely stunned at the moment.

"Marco doing a 'deer in the headlights' expression here..." one posted on X.

"This is especially funny after the report that Marco is upset he doesn't get to make decisions," another quipped.

"What a bully! Gratis! I love you, Marco. Your good manners! Splendid!" a user chimed in. 

"But didn't Marco say decisions are made without him, yet he's getting blamed if, and it will, go sideways?" someone else asked.

"This is what Trump will say to Elon Musk when other things go wrong. Elon Musk as the person 'to blame if anything goes wrong'," read a comment.

"First to go 'under the bus'," another insisted.

After putting Rubio on the spot with his Panama Canal comments, Trump later tried to balance things out by showering him with praise.

“He has been amazing and he’s going to do a great job,” Trump said, adding, “He has already proven he’s a great gentleman. He is respected by everybody, and we appreciate you voting for Marco. He’s going to do a fantastic job.”

Rubio responded to the president’s speech on X, calling Trump’s address “inspiring” and “momentous”—showing no signs of being rattled by the earlier jab.

Instead, he doubled down on his support for Trump’s leadership. “His address tonight laid out exactly how he is keeping those promises with a vision of peace through strength and a stronger, safer, and more prosperous United States," Rubio added.

Is Marco Rubio being sidelined?

Despite Donald Trump’s public confidence in Marco Rubio, things might not be as smooth as they seem behind the scenes. A bombshell Vanity Fair report by Gabriel Sherman claimed that Rubio has been “effectively sidelined” within the administration and often finds himself out of the loop on major foreign policy decisions.

Rubio was present during a tense Oval Office meeting last Friday, where Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Vance even called Zelenskyy “disrespectful” at one point, and Rubio looked visibly uncomfortable—but he still went on CNN and praised Trump later that same day.

Sherman wrote, “While Rubio was quick to get in line in the days after the Zelenskyy showdown, the historic confrontation did indeed reveal a fault line inside the administration: Rubio is privately frustrated that Trump has effectively sidelined him.”

Two sources told Vanity Fair that Rubio was blindsided when Trump recently appointed nine high-profile foreign policy “envoys” to handle major international issues like the wars in Gaza and Ukraine. Essentially, these envoys are doing the job Rubio was supposed to be in charge of.

In fact, Rubio’s time as Secretary of State might be running out. “One of the sources I spoke with speculated that Rubio will only last in the job 18 months before he resigns,” Sherman wrote.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.