The Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, returned to place himself in the center of the political and viral conversation in social networks after appearing in a official photograph wearing a sports outfit similar to the one that Nicolás Maduro was wearing during his capture by US forces last January.

The image was shared by Steven Cheung, communications director of the White House, who published on X a photograph of Rubio aboard the Ai r Force One while traveling to China to accompany President Donald Trump in a diplomatic meeting with Chinese president Xi Jinping.

“The Blonde Secretary wearing the Nike Tech ‘Venezuela’ in the Air Force One!” Cheung wrote in the publication that quickly accumulated thousands of reactions and comments on social networks.

In the photograph, Rubio appears lying on one of the presidential plane doors wearing a gray Nike Tech Fleece sweatshirt, practically identical to the one that Maduro was carrying when he was transferred under US custody after the military operation executed in Caracas on January 3.

The image revives memes and political tension

The clothing worn by Maduro became one of the most commented viral symbols of the beginning of year, after Trump disseminated photographs of the Chavist leader stopped via Truth Social. Since then, the gray sports outfit was used in memes, costumes and satirical posts on different digital platforms.

The new image of Rubio immediately reactivated those references and generated political interpretations among Republican sympathizers, who saw the gesture as a mockery directed at the former Venezuelan president and as a reminder of the military operation that ended with his capture.

Rubio, son of Cuban immigrants and one of the most influential figures in Republican foreign policy, has maintained a tough stance toward the Venezuelan government for years.

Before the January military operation, the Secretary of State repeatedly described Maduro as an “illegitimate” leader and publicly supported more aggressive actions by Washington against Caracas.

The senator turned head of American diplomacy has also been mentioned alongside Vice President J.D. Vance as one of the Republican figures with greater projection toward the 2028 presidential elections.

Although the White House did not issue additional comments on the photograph, the publication put Rubio back in trend and fueled the political and media debate around the relationship between the United States and Venezuela.