US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has dismissed claims that he took fashion inspiration from deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro after a photo of him in a grey Nike tracksuit went viral online. Rubio was photographed aboard Air Force One in the outfit while travelling with President Donald Trump to China for high-level talks.
Social media users quickly noticed that the tracksuit looked similar to the Nike Tech Fleece worn by Maduro when he was captured by US forces and pictured handcuffed inside a helicopter in January. The resemblance sparked a wave of memes and comments suggesting the top US diplomat was trolling or mocking the ousted Venezuelan strongman.
Responding to reporters’ questions in Beijing, Rubio laughed off the comparison and insisted there was no hidden message behind his choice of clothing. “There’s no context. It’s a nice suit,” he said, adding jokingly that if anything, “he copied me, because I had it before him.”
Rubio stressed that he has “no love” for Maduro and would never deliberately model his appearance on the former president, whom Washington has long accused of corruption and authoritarianism. He explained that he simply changed out of formal wear into something more comfortable for the long-haul flight and did not even know the photo was being taken.
The episode has added a lighter, viral twist to a serious trip focused on US–China relations, Iran and global security. Nonetheless, it has also revived online discussion of Maduro’s dramatic capture and the images that have come to symbolise his fall from power.
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