On Thursday, December 18, the current US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, posted a full-sized image of his new profile picture on X. In the picture, Rubio is dressed in a dark suit and happens to be staring at his shoes or feet.
After Rubio's tweet went viral, Vice President JD Vance was one of the many peoplewho retweeted it, captioning his retweet:
"I guess I owe that guy $1,000"
Since Rubio didn't reply to Vance's tweet, the context behind his tweet remains a mystery at the moment. It could possibly be a bet between the two government officials.
#NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/EEhMfxNUB6
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) December 18, 2025
One of the comments on Vance's retweet attached an alleged joke the Vice President made during his Vanity Fair photo session, claiming to give $100 for every person the photographer made "look really shitty" compared to him, adding:
"And $1,000 if it's Marco."
Whether it's just a rumor or based on true events remains to be seen.
Vice President JD Vance in Pennsylvania:
— Vice President JD Vance (@VP) December 17, 2025
“Under President Trump, we are building again, and we are investing in the United States of America again.” pic.twitter.com/5DH6KUhn6Y
JD Vance's retweet of Marco Rubio's profile picture comes after his Pennsylvanian visit earlier this week. The Vice President was there to ease tensions among the heightened frustrations, with the surging cost of living in the US. Addressing the state's crowd, Vance said:
"Even though we've made incredible progress, we understand that there's a lot more work to do, and the thing that I'd ask from the American people is a little bit of patience. I promise you, there is no person more impatient to solve the affordability crisis than Donald J. Trump."
While in Pennsylvania, Vance also visited a Christian homeless shelter and rehabilitation center for men in the state - called Allentown Rescue Mission - where he served food to the inhabitants alongside his wife.
Before Vance, President Trump had visited a casino in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains. Intending to address the voters' struggle with high prices, Trump instead went to to talk about transgender rights, wind turbines, and Somali migrants.
Towards the end of his 90-minute speech, the president said that despite the surging living costs, the economy was still in boom, with people taking home more pay than before.
It is likely that Vance's sudden visit to Pennsylvania is an effort to smooth over the dissatisfaction citizens had with Trump's address, especially ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
TOPICS: JD Vance, Marco Rubio