President Donald Trump found yet another task to heap onto Marco Rubio’s plate.
Trump, 79, announced on Thursday that he was putting the Secretary of State, 54, in charge of America’s bid to host the World Expo in 2035—all while the administration pursues an aggressive foreign policy agenda that includes a long-shot attempt to take over Greenland.
The World Expo is held every five years and draws in tens of millions of visitors. Last year’s event was held in Osaka, Japan, and the 2030 iteration will be hosted by Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“Today, I am announcing the United States’ intention to bid for the World Expo 2035,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “The Great State of Florida has expressed strong interest in hosting the Expo in Miami, which I fully support. Miami Expo 2035 can be the next big milestone in our new Golden Age of America.”
“I am appointing Miami native Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Chair the efforts of coordinating and advancing this exciting opportunity to convene the World,” he went on, before touting his successful efforts to bring the FIFA World Cup and the Summer Olympics to the U.S. in 2026 and 2028, respectively. “I look forward to winning and participating in the Miami Expo 2035!”
Rubio wrote in an X post that he was “honored” by the appointment.
“The event is an incredible stage to showcase our nation’s Golden Age and American exceptionalism before the world,” he said. “There is nothing quite like Miami hospitality.”
The last time the U.S. hosted the World Expo was in 1984 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Congress banned the use of federal funds for World’s Fairs in 1999, but Trump signed a bipartisan bill in 2017 that allowed the U.S. to rejoin Bureau International des Expositions, the Paris-based body that oversees the World Expo.
The World Expo gives the host country an opportunity to erect glitzy pavilions centered around a forward-looking theme. The theme for 2025 was “Designing Future Society for Our Lives,” which attracted 29 million visitors, and the 2030 theme is “Foresight for Tomorrow.”
The competition to host World Expo 2030 was a three-way race among Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and Italy. Saudi Arabia secured the majority of the votes from 165 delegates in November 2023, a massive win for Trump pal Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The new responsibility is expected to further clog up Rubio’s already busy schedule. On top of serving as State Secretary, he is also the acting national archivist and acting national security adviser. He also briefly served as chief of the now-defunct U.S. Agency for International Development.
But Rubio’s most recent assignment, prior to becoming World Expo planner, is perhaps also the most controversial: overseeing the transition of Venezuela after U.S. forces seized its president, Nicolás Maduro, in a shocking raid earlier this month.
His ever-expanding portfolio has made him the butt of multiple jokes, and he has always been happy to join in.
Rubio previously quipped in an X post that he was not being considered as a candidate for the then-vacant head coach and general manager positions at the Miami Dolphins, his home team.
“I do not normally respond to online rumors but feel the need to do so at this moment,” he joked. “While you never know what the future may bring right now my focus must remain on global events and also the precious archives of the United States of America. Thank you.”
