President Donald Trump is once again a topic of discussion — this time, because of something he said about Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He has sparked fresh criticism after making unusual remarks about Rubio during a White House event with members of Inter Miami CF.
Reportedly, the president joked that he did not want his secretary of state to become “too popular.”
According to the Daily Beast, the event happened on Thursday, March 5, at the White House. Trump welcomed the Major League Soccer (MLS) champions, and was joined by Argentine superstar Lionel Messi and Uruguayan striker Luis Suárez. The gathering was meant to celebrate the team’s achievements, but the president’s unscripted comments about Rubio quickly drew attention.
The 79-year-old began by joking that he had forgotten the team was scheduled to visit. “I got a lot of things going on,” he told the audience. It seemed like he was directly referencing the ongoing conflict involving the United States and Iran that has dominated headlines in recent days.
After analyzing the Inter Miami roster, Trump praised the players’ appearances and then spoke about Rubio — a Florida-based attorney, who serves as secretary of state in his administration.
“These are good-looking people,” Trump said, referring to the soccer stars. “Marco, I don’t like good-looking men. You don’t feel so good about yourself standing up here. Good-looking people,” the president added.
🇺🇸 Donald Trump: “It’s my distinct privilege to say what no American president has ever had the chance to say before: welcome to the White House, Lionel Messi!” 🐐
— We Are Messi 🔟 (@WeAreMessi) March 5, 2026
Some attendees reacted with a laugh to Trump’s comments. However, critics later argued the remarks were made to publicly embarrass the senior diplomat.
Trump then moved on to another subject, discussing Rubio’s work on foreign policy. While praising him, the president also acknowledged concerns about the rising profile of the 54-year-old Republican leader. “I’m telling you, he’s going to go down as the best secretary of state in the country’s history, Marco Rubio,” Trump said, prompting applause from the crowd.
As everyone lauded the conversation going on, Trump added another unusual remark that hinted at Rubio’s popularity. “I don’t want him to get too popular. It’s true,” he said, before repeating the point moments later. “You know, when they get too popular all of a sudden, you see, ‘Where’s Marco? He’s not around anymore. I don’t see him!’”
Rubio has previously served as a U.S. senator from Florida and ran for president in 2016. Moreover, he has long been considered by some Republicans as a potential future leader within the party. Hence, Trump’s comments were subject to the same speculation.
The president then talked about the visiting athletes. At one point, he pointed toward Messi, who is globally known as one of the greatest soccer players in history, and joked about his place among the legends of the sport.
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami met Donald Trump at the White House to mark their 2025 MLS Cup victory. pic.twitter.com/VkXDDo1Aj6
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) March 6, 2026
“Who’s better, him or Pelé?” Trump asked, referring to the late Brazilian icon whose career helped popularize global soccer. His chain of unusual comments continued as he shared that he had only recently learned Messi would be attending the event. “It’s my distinct privilege to say what no American president has ever had the chance to say before: Welcome to the White House, Lionel Messi,” he said.
The president also praised a recent goal by Suárez and spent several minutes talking about soccer history. Nevertheless, Trump’s remarks about appearances are not new. In February, while speaking with international leaders, he made similar comments while speaking to Santiago Peña, the president of Paraguay.
