Donald Trump left Secretary of State Marco Rubio visibly uncomfortable during a meeting on Venezuela’s oil reserves when he accidentally read aloud a private note meant to be passed discreetly across the table.
The 79-year-old president was speaking with oil executives less than a week after U.S. special forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. During the discussion, Rubio slid a handwritten instruction toward Trump, which the president immediately picked up and read out loud.
“Marco just gave me a note,” Trump said, before reading its contents: “Go back to Chevron. They want to discuss something.”
Trump then added, “Go ahead, I’m going back to Chevron. Thank you, Marco,” while Rubio froze for a moment and attempted a strained smile. Trump appeared to realise the misstep seconds too late and tried to smooth the exchange by patting Rubio on the back.
The moment was caught on camera as oil executives, including Chevron vice chairman Mark Nelson, attended the meeting inside the White House.
It wasn’t the only unusual incident during the session. Mid-sentence, Trump abruptly stood up and walked toward the windows overlooking construction work for a major ballroom expansion, currently replacing the demolished East Wing.
After observing the construction, he returned to the table saying it was “an unusual time to look,” before urging members of the press he referred to as “fake news” to come forward and see for themselves.
“If the fake news would like to take a look you can,” he said. “You’ll see a very big foundation we are moving. We are ahead of schedule on the ballroom and under budget.” Trump later added: “I don’t think there will be anything like it in the world, actually.”
The president also displayed a lapel pin depicting himself, telling the room it was “Happy Trump,” before noting that he is “never happy” or “satisfied.”
During the same briefing, Trump threatened that the United States would take action on Greenland “whether they like it or not,” claiming that if Washington didn’t “do something on Greenland,” the island would be taken by either Russia or China.