On a Saturday evening, in the middle of a wedding celebration, the country's top diplomat was seen mugging behind a DJ booth, a small and almost comic image set against a war now stretching into its third month. The moment arrived just as the president signaled skepticism toward a new Iranian overture to end the fighting, and as the public's patience thinned to historic lows. It is the kind of contrast that reminds us how public life often collides with private revelry, and how a nation at war still searches for ordinary moments of joy. Whether the distance between the dance floor and the nego
Rubio Plays DJ at a Wedding as Trump's Iran War Drags On and Gas Prices Climb
Rubio held headphones to his ear while Trump doubted Iran's peace offer
Mark
Why is a wedding video even a news story right now?
Mimi
Because of the timing. It came hours after Trump said he couldn't imagine Iran's new proposal being acceptable, and the country's top diplomat was on a dance floor.
Mark
Was Rubio actually DJing?
Mimi
Not really. The video shows a DJ guiding him, then leaving, and Rubio doesn't seem to touch the equipment. He pumps his hand to the beat.
Luke
Worth saying plainly: the clip is from Scavino's post and other circulating footage. We don't know who invited him or how long he was there.
Mark
And the war numbers?
Mimi
Roughly $25 billion, over two months, and a Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll showing disapproval at historic levels, similar to Iraq and Vietnam.
Luke
The $25 billion is an estimate, and the Iraq and Vietnam comparison is The Washington Post's reading of the poll. I'd hold both loosely.
Mark
What about gas prices?
Mimi
About $4.44 a gallon nationally. Diane Swonk of KPMG expects them to climb and possibly break 2022 records.
Luke
That's a forecast, not an outcome. And nothing here shows the wedding clip affects policy. The criticism is from social media users, not from any official action.
Der Puls
- A video of Secretary of State Marco Rubio pretending to DJ a wedding landed just hours after Trump doubted Iran's latest peace offer.
- The clip has drawn sharp online criticism at a moment when the roughly $25 billion war is nearing two months and public approval has sunk to record lows.
- Gas prices near $4.44 a gallon are pressing on American households, with economists warning they could break 2022 records.
- Trump is reviewing Tehran's proposal while signaling it may not be acceptable, leaving the path to a negotiated end uncertain.
- The question now is whether mounting political and economic pain will push the administration toward a deal or deepen its resolve.
On a Saturday evening, in the middle of a wedding celebration, the country's top diplomat was seen mugging behind a DJ booth, a small and almost comic image set against a war now stretching into its third month. The moment arrived just as the president signaled skepticism toward a new Iranian overture to end the fighting, and as the public's patience thinned to historic lows. It is the kind of contrast that reminds us how public life often collides with private revelry, and how a nation at war still searches for ordinary moments of joy. Whether the distance between the dance floor and the negotiating table narrows will say more about the months ahead than any viral clip ever could.
On Saturday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stood behind a DJ setup at a wedding, headphones pressed to one ear, trying to get the room moving. Dan Scavino, the White House deputy chief of staff, posted the video, which shows the event's DJ walking Rubio through the basics before leaving him alone at the equipment. Rubio pumps his hand to the beat of the song, though he does not appear to touch the controls at any point. A second clip circulating online shows him clicking a laptop and mouthing along to a Calvin Harris track as guests dance nearby.
The timing is what has drawn attention. The videos surfaced hours after President Trump said he was reviewing a new Iranian proposal to end the war and doubted it would be acceptable. Rubio had recently praised Tehran's negotiators as experienced, a remark now set against the lighter scene.
Beneath the spectacle sits a heavier reality. The war is more than two months old and has cost an estimated $25 billion. A new poll shows disapproval at historic levels, and gas prices are near $4.44 a gallon, with one economist warning they could surpass the 2022 records. What comes next depends on whether that pressure pushes the administration toward a negotiated end.
On Saturday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stood behind a DJ setup at a wedding, held a pair of headphones to one ear, and tried to get the room moving. A video of the moment was posted by Dan Scavino, the White House deputy chief of staff. In it, the event's DJ appears to walk Rubio through the basics, claps along to the song "Shiver" by John Summit and Hayla, and then shuffles offstage, leaving the secretary alone at the equipment.
What follows is brief. A group of men can be seen dancing. The song asks, "Can you feel it now?" and Rubio pumps his right hand in the air to the beat. He does not appear to touch the equipment at any point in the clip. Scavino captioned the video with "Let's goooooo!!!" and a string of music emojis.
Other footage circulated on social media as well. In it, Rubio clicks buttons on a laptop and mouths along to Calvin Harris's "Feel So Close" as the track plays through nearby speakers. Wedding guests jump up and down, some holding drinks.
The videos surfaced hours after President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that he was reviewing a new Iranian proposal to end the war. He added that he could not imagine it would be acceptable. Rubio, for his part, told Fox News' Trey Yingst last week that Tehran's negotiating team was "very good" and "very experienced."
The war is now more than two months old and carries an estimated cost of $25 billion. A new Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll, as reported by The Washington Post, found disapproval at historic levels, comparable to figures recorded during the Iraq and Vietnam wars.
The pressure is also showing up at the pump. Gas prices stand at an estimated national average of $4.44 a gallon. Diane Swonk, chief economist at KPMG, said on ABC's "This Week" that prices will go higher and could "easily break" the records set in 2022.
On X, critics went after the Rubio clip. One took particular issue with how Fox News presented the footage, and another called the video a "mind-bending sign of the times."
What to watch now is whether sinking approval and rising fuel costs move the administration toward a negotiated end, given that Trump has already signaled doubt about Iran's latest offer.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
Trump said he can't imagine that Iran's new proposal would be acceptable.— President Donald Trump, on Truth Social
Gas prices will go higher and could easily break records set in 2022.— Diane Swonk, chief economist at KPMG, on ABC's This Week
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