Rubio Wears Tracksuit Like Maduro's on Beijing Flight

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio drew widespread attention on May 12, 2026, when he appeared in a grey Nike Tech tracksuit aboard Air Force One while traveling to Beijing with President Donald Trump for a state visit. The outfit closely resembled the one worn by Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro during his capture by US forces in early January 2026, prompting the White House to frame the choice as an intentional "full circle moment."

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung shared a photo of Rubio in the tracksuit on X, captioning it, "Secretary Rubio rocking the Nike Tech Venezuela on Air Force One!" The administration followed with a video juxtaposing footage of Rubio from January 3, 2026, where he quoted rapper The Notorious B.I.G., saying, "If you don’t know, now you know," in reference to Maduro's detention. The clip then showed Maduro blindfolded in the same grey tracksuit aboard a US naval vessel en route to the United States, before cutting to Rubio on the plane.

Maduro and his wife were detained in a US military operation in Caracas, carried out by Delta Force, the Army's elite special operations unit. Officials transported him to New York to face charges...