The President of the United States, Donald Trump, joked about firing his Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, for gaining too much popularity. The remark came during a Republican rally held on Sunday, November 1, in Salina, Kansas, just two days before the legislative elections on November 3.
"Oh, look who’s here! Marco Rubio. Can you believe it? He’s becoming a bit too popular. I’m not happy about this," Trump remarked to those present.
The president then invited the secretary of state to come to the stage: "Marco, come up for a moment and say hello, please. The people are thrilled with this man."
As Rubio approached, Trump picked up the joke with a smile: "Look at him. He's becoming a bit too popular for my liking. I don't like it, I don't like it. If he gets any more popular, I'm going to say, 'You're fired!'"
The moment was captured in a video of the event shared by Clash Report on X. The phrase "You're fired" is also a well-known expression from Trump during his time as the host of the television show The Apprentice.
A joke during the election campaign
The incident occurred during one of Trump's last appearances before the elections on Tuesday, November 3. In Kansas, the president campaigned for Republican candidates, including Senator Roger Marshall and gubernatorial candidate Ty Masterson.
The reference to the supposed dismissal was humorous and was not accompanied by any announcement of a change in the State Department. The comment is also part of a series of public praises that Trump has directed at Rubio throughout the year.
Trump had already spoken about Rubio's growing popularity
In March, Trump claimed that Rubio would be remembered as one of the best Secretaries of State in American history, although he also slipped in a similar phrase at the time: "I don't want him to become too popular."
Most recently, on October 27, the president called Rubio to the stage during a rally in Texas, where attendees chanted his name. On that occasion, Trump joked about sending him to Cuba by parachute to solve the island's situation.
Rubio's political projection has also raised questions about the 2028 presidential elections. In February, Trump avoided committing to a candidate for 2028 when asked about Rubio, but praised both the Secretary of State and Vice President JD Vance.
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