WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Marco Rubio has recounted an unusual incident aboard Air Force One in which he and other officials spent roughly 90 minutes wondering whether a motionless passenger might have suffered a medical emergency.
Rubio shared the story during an appearance on the Katie Miller Podcast, describing the tense but ultimately harmless situation as officials returned from a trip to China.
According to Rubio, an unidentified individual was sleeping in a conference room and remained completely unresponsive despite considerable activity and noise around them. The unusual circumstances left officials debating whether they should intervene.
“We spent about 90 minutes sort of debating should we make a move?” Rubio recalled.
Officials reportedly considered contacting a physician or attempting to wake the person but hesitated because they feared creating an awkward situation if the individual was simply sleeping deeply.
The concern, however, was serious enough that Rubio questioned what they would do if the person were actually dead.
The individual appeared not to respond to surrounding stimuli, while Rubio said the person’s breathing pattern was also difficult to interpret. Those details contributed to growing uncertainty among the officials nearby.
Ultimately, the situation resolved without intervention when the person was found to be fine.
“Luckily, the person was fine,” Rubio said.
Rubio did not identify the individual or provide details that would establish who was involved. Social media users nevertheless began speculating about the person’s identity, with some offering humorous guesses. There is no evidence supporting those claims.
The anecdote attracted additional attention because Rubio has previously faced questions about sleep and presidential work habits.
During a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu questioned Rubio about whether he had witnessed President Donald Trump falling asleep during meetings. Rubio said he had not and instead described Trump as someone who maintains an unusually demanding schedule.
Lieu subsequently challenged Rubio’s response, saying he had video he believed showed Trump with his eyes closed during a meeting. Rubio maintained that he had never personally seen the president fall asleep.
The Air Force One episode, however, appears to have had a much less controversial ending.
What initially raised concerns about a possible medical emergency ultimately turned into an unusual story about an exceptionally deep sleeper. Rubio’s account offered a rare glimpse into the unexpected situations that can unfold aboard the presidential aircraft—even among some of the highest-ranking officials in the U.S. government.
