Duckworth v Rubio and It Wasn’t Even Close

Everyone’s pretty familiar with Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s wicked quick sense of humor. It’s one of the most terrific things about him – you know, besides the massive brain power.

What’s really nice is that the president has a good sense of humor, too, and besides being fulsome in his praise of Rubio, he doesn’t mind cracking on him sometimes, either.

Will Cain had a really nice moment today with Trump that included a Marco secret being revealed, and everyone was pretty tickled. Especially knowing what a workhorse the Sec State is, the fact that he still has to hide from the ever awake president on Air Force One trips to get some zzz time?

That’s pretty damn funny.

HILARIOUS: Fox News’ Will Cain: “I’m afraid [Marco Rubio] made a very big mistake… One of his tricks with you is on Air Force One, Marco Rubio goes into a room and covers himself up with blankets so that you won’t see him sleeping and you’ll think that it’s a staffer.”… pic.twitter.com/CiA3MNNjDv

— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) January 27, 2026

 …One of his tricks with you is on Air Force One, Marco Rubio goes into a room and covers himself up with blankets so that you won’t see him sleeping and you’ll think that it’s a staffer.” 

“And so I think there’s only one of two ways you go with this. You give him yet another job, or you pull the blankets back!” — Will Cain

President Trump: *Smiles* “That’s what he wants [is another job]… He’s a tough cookie… He’s going to go down as the best Secretary of State we’ve ever had.”

I hope Rubio had plenty of blankets over his head and snored as long as he needed to, because he had a long day ahead of him at a Senate Foreign Relations hearing on Venezuela scheduled for today.

Now, most of these people had all been Rubio’s Senate colleagues, so while everyone might not be best friends, they’re all familiar with each other, and most of what I heard was surprisingly cordial.

He squared away the doofuses who thought they were laying clever semantic traps to snag President Trump in easily.

🚨 LOL!!! Marco Rubio just BODIED Tim Kaine on the Senate floor:

KAINE: “Trump said Iceland, but he meant Greenland!”

RUBIO: “I think we’re all familiar with presidents who have verbal stumbles. Some made a LOT more than this one!”

Another 🫳🎤pic.twitter.com/n06SWicBYN

— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) January 28, 2026

Earnest newcomers were treated and schooled gently.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio just schooled Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) on regime change in Cuba and how the current US embargo of Cuba actually demands it.

Schatz was left dumbfounded.

Rubio is unstoppable!pic.twitter.com/Nzks4HbD6I

— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) January 28, 2026

These next four minutes, explaining life to the normally ascerbic and dull-witted Chris Coons, who is silent and attentive throughout, are a testament to the masterclass Rubio puts on the second he answers a question. 

And the question was a volatile one, from what I inferred – why had the administration not alerted senators to the Maduro action? Why had there not been any notification of sending the US military in or even the work-ups for such a possibility?

I mean, I had to double-check to see that it really was the Democrat Senator from Delaware because he didn’t interrupt the Secretary of State a single time.

Astonishing.

Originally when I heard Marco Rubio for Secretary of State I was skeptical.

After a year of the Trump Administration — I can say he was hands down the best man for this job. pic.twitter.com/KTGoiVnS64

— Joshua Reid | Redpills.tv (@realjoshuareid) January 28, 2026

Moments like this seemed more the norm, too. Jean Shaheen asked about oil money, and that exchange went civilly enough.

But you knew there had to be some fireworks, and it only took Senator Tammy Duckworth to light them off.

Holy crap – how this woman flew helicopters when I am shocked she has enough intelligence to open a locked ladies’ room stall door on her own,

She makes me want to pull blankets over my head at the cringe.

Gird your loins, take a deep breath, and listen (Longer clip here if you’re into self-torture.)

🚨 HOLY SMOKES, MARCO RUBIO UNLEASHED. Dem Sen. Tammy Duckworth is stunned!

“ANYONE who believes that gangs that flood our country with fentanyl or cocaine are not threats to the United States is NOT LIVING IN REALITY and CERTAINLY does not reflect the opinion of most… pic.twitter.com/BxHASahA3v

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 28, 2026

…and CERTAINLY does not reflect the opinion of most Americans!”

DUCKWORTH: The Trump admin acknowledged that the vast majority of the men it rounded up and deported to torture under this law had no criminal records whatsoever!

RUBIO: We didn’t torture ANYBODY. Who have we tortured?! We arrested GANG MEMBERS.

DUCKWORTH: Again, I want to ask you, will you advise the president to rescind his invocation of the wartime Alien Enemies Act? 

RUBIO: Of COURSE NOT! These are people that are threats to the national security of the United States!

DUCKWORTH: You’re saying we’re at war?

RUBIO: When it comes to narco-trafficking groups and criminal gangs that are targeting the United States for criminal activity — there’s no doubt about the fact that we’re confronting them in a war-like manner! They’re waging war against US, they are ENEMY COMBATANTS.

She hurts my head. Rubio deserves the Medal of Freedom just for having to be subjected to that.

I have to agree with Prof Jonathan Turley’s assessment of Rubio – yes, he is so good at this.

And I am so stealing that line he uses.

…Rubio is extraordinarily good at this. He is unflappable and stays on message and on point. The man could talk the bolts off a bridge…

— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) January 28, 2026

THE MAN COULD TALK BOLTS OFF A BRIDGE

There have been few times when I could ever say I’d learned something from a Senate hearing – most instances turn into a partisan grandstanding shriek-a-thon, like Duckworth’s did.

But today has been informative and has had some humor, too.

We are very lucky Marco Rubio told Trump he’d take the jobs…and the next one…and then that one…and that.

Oh.

And the other one.

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