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Rubio wears ‘Maduro Nike Tech’ onboard Air Force One en route to Beijing, sparks buzz: ‘We love Marco’

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sparked buzz after he was spotted wearing the “Nike Tech” Nicolas Maduro was wearing when he was captured.

Published on: May 13, 2026 6:52 AM IST
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United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio sparked buzz after he was reportedly spotted wearing the “Nike Tech” Nicolas Maduro was wearing when he was captured. According to posts on X, Rubio wore the outfit onboard Air Force One en route to Beijing with President Donald Trump.

Marco Rubio wears ‘Maduro Nike Tech’ onboard Air Force One en route to Beijing (@StevenCheung47/X, Truth Social)
Marco Rubio wears ‘Maduro Nike Tech’ onboard Air Force One en route to Beijing (@StevenCheung47/X, Truth Social)

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung shared a photo of Rubio donning the outfit, writing on X, “Secretary Rubio rocking the Nike Tech ‘Venezuela’ on Air Force One!”

X users soon began sharing collages of Rubio and Maduro in the same “Nike Tech”.

Eric Daugherty wrote on X, “LMFAO! Sec. Marco Rubio was just spotted wearing the Nicolas Maduro "Nike Tech" aboard Air Force One, en route to China with President Trump. Just like Maduro wore when 47 captured him. We love Marco”.

The White House shared the photos too, writing, “Full circle moment”.

‘Rubio has a great sense of humor’

Netizens reacted to the photo in the comment section. “Whoa, is he also going to DJ a set on the flight?” one user wrote. “I hope he brought lots of blankets so he can hide and get some rest lol,” wrote another. “Rubio has a great sense of humor. Seems like a fun guy to hang out with,” wrote a user, while another joked, “Over/under on the most comfortable physically (yet potentially socially uncomfortable. . .) Halloween Costume?”

Read More | Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro and wife dragged from bedroom during US raid: Report

“This is crazy trolling at this point,” wrote a user, while another said, “But with adidas shoes? Come on man”. “Marco is looking fit AF. American men, take note. Get your sh** together. We need you,” said a user.

Many others shared Rubio’s photo in the outfit. Take a look:

Maduro’s capture

Maduro and his wife were captured by the US in January. The operation to capture Maduro was carried out by the U.S. Army's Delta Force, an elite special forces unit, officials told CBS News.

At the time, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth hailed the troops involved in the mission. "I saw the best of America, I saw men and women dedicating their lives to defending our country and to accomplish in that mission," he said. "They got the job done despite any obstacles in front of them."

Read More | 150 planes, 30 minutes: How the US captured Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro in his ‘fortress’

Hegseth added that Trump "gave them a clear mission and they finished it."

Meanwhile, Rubio told reporters at the time that Maduro was given the opportunity to leave Venezuela and avoid capture by the US. "Nicolás Maduro had multiple opportunities to avoid this," Rubio told reporters at Mar-a-Lago. "He was provided multiple very, very, very generous offers, and chose instead to act like a wild man."

Rubio did not elaborate on the offers given to Maduro, but said, "This guy had multiple opportunities to find his way somewhere else. … He could've been living somewhere else right now, very happy, but instead he wanted to play big boy, and so now he's got other sets of problems on his hands."

  • Sumanti Sen
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Sumanti Sen

    Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More

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