HAIL MARY

Rubio Humiliated as Cheap Gift to Pope Immediately Backfires

Rubio appeared to have had his own preferences in mind when picking out a gift for the pope.

Marco Rubio’s gift to Pope Leo XIV left the pontiff too stunned to speak in the worst way possible.

The secretary of state traveled to the Vatican on Thursday to discuss “the situation in the Middle East and topics of mutual interest in the Western Hemisphere,” according to the State Department.

While they were together, the pair exchanged gifts. But Rubio, a Catholic, opted for an unusual gift: a tiny crystal American football.

“I know you’re a baseball guy, but um, it has the seal of the State Department, so it uh, what to get someone who has everything? I thought a crystal football,” Rubio said.

The pope, a Chicago native who is known to be a White Sox fan, did not have much to say about the present.

“Wow, okay,” he told Rubio.

In return, the pontiff gifted Rubio a pen made from olive wood, as he noted that an olive branch is the symbol of peace.

It appears that Rubio may have had his own taste in mind as he picked out his present.

Rubio is a known fan of the Miami Dolphins as a South Florida native.

His wife, Jeanette Dousdebes Rubio, was a cheerleader for the team in 1997. She was even featured in the Dolphins’ first-ever swimsuit calendar.

Rubio is staying in Italy until the end of the week, meeting with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani of Italy on Friday.

Rubio’s meeting at the Vatican came as President Donald Trump has escalated his largely one-sided feud with Leo, the first American pope.

Trump has been absolutely furious that the pope has not supported his war in Iran. The pope has been highly critical of Trump’s war, as he has pushed for peace in line with the Catholic faith.

This week, the president claimed that Pope Leo was “endangering a lot of Catholics” and that “the pope would rather talk about the fact that it’s okay for Iran to have a nuclear weapon, and I don’t think that’s very good.”

In response to those comments, Pope Leo told reporters, “if someone wants to criticize me for proclaiming the Gospel, let him do so truthfully.”

“The church for years has spoken against all nuclear weapons, so there’s no doubt there,” he continued. “And so I hope simply to be listened to for the value of the words of God.”

Following Rubio’s visit, the Vatican released a statement calling the talks with Rubio “cordial” and said the “shared commitment to fostering good bilateral relations between the Holy See and the United States of America was reaffirmed.”

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Annabella RosciglioneReporter

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