President Donald Trump publicly read a private note from Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a White House meeting with oil executives on the afternoon of 9/1. The note, intended for his eyes only, caused a moment of visible surprise for Rubio.
This incident occurred as President Trump was discussing investment opportunities in Venezuela's energy sector. He hosted representatives from 17 oil corporations, alongside Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, and Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. President Trump was promising "great profits" for companies willing to invest 100 billion USD in rebuilding Venezuela's energy infrastructure.
Secretary of State Rubio attempted to discreetly pass a note to President Trump. However, President Trump read the note aloud: "You will all do very well. Marco just gave me a note. 'Circle back to Chevron, they want to discuss something further.'" Images from the event captured Secretary Rubio's momentary surprise at the President's action, followed by an awkward smile.
President Trump reads aloud a private note received from Secretary Rubio. Video: X/theblaze
President Trump then addressed Mark Nelson, the vice president of Chevron, stating, "Go ahead, I will circle back to Chevron, Mark." He patted Secretary Rubio on the shoulder, adding, "Thank you, Marco."
"Is there a question, Mr. President?" Nelson inquired. President Trump replied, "Yes, go ahead Marco, what did you want to ask here?" re-reading the note.
Rubio then gestured to Secretary Wright. The Secretary of Energy asked Chevron to provide an update on its operations in Venezuela and its outlook for the next 12 to 18 months. As Nelson responded, Secretary Rubio retrieved the note, folded it in half, and put it away.
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President Donald Trump reads aloud a private note from Secretary of State Marco Rubio at a White House meeting on 9/1. Photo: AP
This incident marked another instance of President Trump publicly revealing the contents of a private note from a Secretary of State.
Previously, Rubio had passed a note to President Trump during a meeting with conservative activists and journalists on 8/10/2025. Photojournalists captured the note's content, which advised, "you need to approve the Truth Social post soon so you can be the first to announce the deal," as President Trump held it.
Following that meeting, President Trump indicated that Secretary Rubio's note suggested the parties were nearing a Middle East agreement and would soon require his involvement. Subsequently, President Trump posted on Truth Social that Israel and Hamas had agreed on phase one of a peace deal to end hostilities in Gaza.
By Nhu Tam (Sources: Yahoo, Independent)
