New Times collage. Marco Rubio photo by U.S. Embassy Jerusalem/Flickr.
Audio By Carbonatix
Hobby, side gig, or a backup plan in case he gets the boot — either way, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stepped behind the decks as a wedding DJ over the weekend, and the internet is gobbling it up.
Some things are meant to be sacred… like the DJ booth. While we’re usually here for the crossover between music and politics, this one lands a little differently. Remember when Ron DeSantis’ alleged Spotify playlist leaked? Yeah — file this under the same awkward category.
Over the weekend, while Miami was knee-deep in F1 and Race Week shenanigans, the 45-year-old Florida man was spotted behind the booth in a video captured by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino. He shared the clip on X, where it quickly racked up over a million views and thousands of comments.
“MOMENTS AGO, BEHIND THE SCENES—Our Great Secretary of State @MarcoRubio DJ’s weddings too! Here he is in action tonight at a family wedding…
Let’s goooooo!!!” the post reads.
The video shows Rubio cueing a track and waiting for the drop as John Summit and Hayla’s dancefloor anthem“Shiver” sends a mostly male crowd — including a person who looks like the groom — into a frenzy. In another clip, he transitions into Calvin Harris’ 2011 EDM classic “Feel So Close,” singing along while keeping time with a pointed index finger.
The internet reacted instantly — and, as expected, it’s divided. “The DJ phase doesn’t miss a single native Miamian,” one user joked, a fair point considering the University of Miami alum likely crossed paths with the city’s electronic scene at some point — maybe even a night at Ultra Music Festival. Others weren’t as amused: “Partying it up while we can’t afford gas and food. Piss off,” one user wrote. Another added, “Not Marco Rubio ruining one of my favorite millennial dance jams.”
Memes and AI-generated images followed almost immediately, casting Rubio as the “official White House DJ.”
What the clips do suggest: this isn’t his first rodeo behind the booth. His headphone grip and cueing look pretty natural. That said, there’s room for improvement, especially on the dance moves. A little more looseness, maybe a less buttoned-up outfit, and who knows, he could headline the opening party for Trump’s future White House ballroom.
