Althouse: Elon Musk loves the idea of Rubio as "president of Venezuela, governor of Cuba, and the Shah of Iran."

January 3, 2026

Elon Musk loves the idea of Rubio as "president of Venezuela, governor of Cuba, and the Shah of Iran."

I support this 💯 https://t.co/MFckQ5VWqr
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 3, 2026

70 comments:

Achilles said...: "Elon Musk loves the idea of Rubio as "president of Venezuela, governor of Cuba, and the Shah of Iran.""

I do too.

He wouldn't have enough time to run for President of the US.; 1/3/26, 2:51 PM
rehajm said...: That’s funny…; 1/3/26, 2:53 PM
john mosby said...: American Proconsul! He could be the civilian MacArthur. CC, JSM; 1/3/26, 2:55 PM
Peachy said...: I'm cool with it. I'll bet the people of those horrendously cruelly backwards corrupt tin-pot china-puppet run nations are, too.; 1/3/26, 2:58 PM
Gerda Sprinchorn said...: I'm going to take a bold and courageous stand on this Venezuelan action:

If things turn out well, I'm in favor of it.
If things turn out badly, I'm against it.; 1/3/26, 3:03 PM
Bystander said...: Your “bold and courageous” stand reminds me of “Soggy” Sweat’s “if by whiskey” speech.; 1/3/26, 3:08 PM
Peachy said...: freedom and humanity are always worth risk.; 1/3/26, 3:12 PM
Original Mike said...: Saw that. Pretty funny.; 1/3/26, 3:42 PM
Beasts of England said...: Rubio is the biggest (positive) surprise of Trump’s second term. Although he probably misses the relaxing pace of being a US Senator. ;); 1/3/26, 3:47 PM
BG said...: My husband once worked with a gentleman who was a legal immigrant from Thailand. He said that he would never go back because here, people like to laugh. Yes, I laughed at that photo. I hope if Marco saw it that he laughed too. But I seriously hope Venezuela ends up with the government it needs to truly prosper its people.; 1/3/26, 3:48 PM
gadfly said...: So Mandura is a narco-terrorist in charge of the non-existant Cartel de Los Soles according to Little Marco and we can arrest him under a non-existant U.S. law. Without filing to the World Court under international law, we blockaded Venezuala and invaded the sovereign country. We illegally killed over 100 people aboard some 25 speedbats and boarded a tanker carrying Venezualan crude oil at sea.

So why would we think ,as did Russia, that we can grab a trading partner and suffer no consequence. America under Trump is like the Devil fetching us to Hell in a handbasket.; 1/3/26, 3:52 PM
hanuman_prodigious_leaper said...: Which genius came up with the idea to put together arrest warrant in service of geopolitical interest?; 1/3/26, 4:00 PM
narciso said...: 'PRIORITIES' Alert! Guy Benson Spots the DNC Taking the Next Predictable Step After Maduro's Arrest – Twitchy https://share.google/KudGXjtfa3b7myyjQ; 1/3/26, 4:01 PM
Beasts of England said...: ’Without filing to the World Court under international law…’

lol; 1/3/26, 4:14 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: They have some hilarious AI Rubio as a Latin American Strongman.; 1/3/26, 4:16 PM
Just an old country lawyer said...: My take away from my International law class some 50 years ago is that nation states will do anything they think they can get away with in order to advance their perceived national interest.
The Marco Rubio meme is the funniest thing I've seen today.; 1/3/26, 4:36 PM
Iman said...: ‘fly on Manure-OH! @3:52PM !; 1/3/26, 4:38 PM
Anonymous said...: Donnie Dementia blows his nose in yellow cornbread, MAGAt sycophants eat it up and declare it the most delicious pumpkin pie theyve ever had.; 1/3/26, 4:49 PM
Achilles said...: We just have to change plans to deport the Marxists and illegals to Somalia now instead of Venezuela.; 1/3/26, 4:51 PM
RCOCEAN II said...: Nobody in the USA will be better off if we invade Cuba or Iran. In the case of Iran, it will make the Iraq war seem like a walk in the country. Full a full lot of reasons. The USA can bomb Iran, but if china and Russia give them help with their air defense... it wont last long. Look at the price tag of a B-2 or a F-18.; 1/3/26, 4:54 PM
RCOCEAN II said...: I'm supposing if a Russian "seal team" parachutes into Tel Aviv and brings Netenyahu to an ICC court for justice, everyone in DC wont be giving each other high-fives.; 1/3/26, 4:56 PM
narciso said...: You are uncommonly dense today, billy; 1/3/26, 4:58 PM
Peachypeachy said...: Word; 1/3/26, 5:02 PM
Peachypeachy said...: Potential freedom and democracy infuriate communists; 1/3/26, 5:03 PM
The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...: “I'm supposing if a Russian "seal team" parachutes into Tel Aviv and brings Netenyahu to an ICC court for justice, everyone in DC wont be giving each other high-fives.”

Try as you might, I don’t think the Babylon Bee is going to hire you.; 1/3/26, 5:03 PM
Peachypeachy said...: China and Russia’s leaders are pissed.; 1/3/26, 5:03 PM
Peachypeachy said...: Heh; 1/3/26, 5:04 PM
Peachypeachy said...: Hilarious that international law breakers like china and Russia are whining.; 1/3/26, 5:05 PM
narciso said...: Yeah they have a limit on absurdity; 1/3/26, 5:06 PM
buwaya said...: Venezuela was an ongoing humanitarian disaster that was on the way to destabilizing Colombia too. Petro is(was) a Maduro proxy. Venezuelan refugees (and they really are refugees) are all over Latin America, stressing everyone out.
This was a necessary first step in resolving this, though voluntary exile would have been better.
Most Lat-Am governments will be privately glad, no matter what their public positions. Chavez was able to buy many of them when Venezuela had $ to give away, but that hasn't been so for many years.
Drug smuggling was a desperation move when the oil money was running out. A self inflicted wound by a fundamentally incompetent regime. Thus was self inflicted slow strangulation.
I suspect the drug boat interdictions were a way of cutting off funding for the regime junta, leading to an unenthusiastic defense of Maduro. Also the oil tanker blockade were a way to cut off Iranian money.; 1/3/26, 5:07 PM
buwaya said...: I doubt Russian or Chinese air defense will do much against the US. Israel achieved total air superiority over Iran, which had the latest Russian air defense systems (S400).; 1/3/26, 5:10 PM
narciso said...: The wife, is a nastier piece of work then maduro; 1/3/26, 5:12 PM
narciso said...: Who ironically translates to ripe; 1/3/26, 5:13 PM
Peachypeachy said...: 5:07 byways.. indeed.; 1/3/26, 5:14 PM
Peachypeachy said...: Phone typing sux; 1/3/26, 5:26 PM
Achilles said...: RCOCEAN II said...

I'm supposing if a Russian "seal team" parachutes into Tel Aviv and brings Netenyahu to an ICC court for justice, everyone in DC wont be giving each other high-fives.

It would be awesome if the people pushing their "indicted drug dealer" pretenses deal with this.

A similar situation took place in the Sahel region of Africa over the last few years where Russia and China kicked France out. France is falling apart now because their economy was based on raping the Sahel region of Africa.

The people of Venezuela will be better off with us running the place.

But this is the emotional high point of this situation. What people don't want to deal with is that there is going to be some real shit going down over the next year. China and Washington DC have serious capital invested in the Marxist South America movement.

You all are going to have to understand that this has a real chance of failing because of what we are up against.

If we don't get serious about the Marxists in DC then Venezuela will fail too in the long run.; 1/3/26, 5:27 PM
Hassayamper said...: The USA can bomb Iran, but if china and Russia give them help with their air defense... it wont last long. Look at the price tag of a B-2 or a F-18.

Would that be the same air defenses that Russia installed for Venezuela? We dispensed with them in about 15 minutes last night.; 1/3/26, 5:27 PM
Peachypeachy said...: Most Americans have forgotten that Madora didn’t actually win the past couple of elections. He used military force to stay in power; 1/3/26, 5:28 PM
Hassayamper said...: And correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought Iran already had a Russian air defense system that didn't even come close to locking onto any of the dozen or so B-2's that took out the Iranian nuclear program in June.; 1/3/26, 5:31 PM
Lazarus said...: Rubio, Viceroy of New Spain?; 1/3/26, 5:35 PM
Wince said...: Rubio realizing he’s going to be president of Venezuela, governor of Cuba, and the Shah of Iran.

Going country to country, just remember...

Don't drink the water!

Looking back, both Rubio and Trump have come a long way together.; 1/3/26, 5:35 PM
Peachypeachy said...: The corruptocrstic party, , communists and all the corrupt regimes like Russia, Iran, China, , etc, are really angry.
Clues; 1/3/26, 5:38 PM
Paul Zrimsek said...: They offered him Governor of Canada but he turned it down.; 1/3/26, 5:38 PM
Maynard said...: Rubio has been a very pleasant surprise in the Trump II administration, so far. I had not thought particularly well of him as a Senator.

I am still voting for JD Vance in 2028.; 1/3/26, 5:42 PM
Maynard said...: RC said: I'm supposing if a Russian "seal team" parachutes into Tel Aviv and brings Netenyahu to an ICC court for justice, everyone in DC wont be giving each other high-fives.

Well, your friend (in spirit) who is running NYC has dibs on getting Bibi. If he does will you be the one to celebrate the execution? After all, it is one less Zionist.

BTW, you should be able to correctly spell the name of the Jews you hate.

Second BTW, if you guys are successful in eliminating Bibi, you still have another Zionist on this site to eliminate - Me.; 1/3/26, 5:51 PM
Peachypeachy said...: The same kind of squander that leftists use to destroy… is basic leftwing corruption .
It makes people poor and leftist rulers rich.

Why leftists do not care about the people is these poor nations; 1/3/26, 5:57 PM
buwaya said...: The "Russian Seal Team" would have no luck against an organized competent defense, which in Netanyahu's case is because he runs a well organized, high tech country and has genuine political support. The Seal Team option only works against broken places.; 1/3/26, 6:01 PM
Unknown said...: Isn’t Marco coaching Penn State too?; 1/3/26, 6:02 PM
buwaya said...: The Iranian air defense system could not even defend itself against a few dozen Israeli aircraft conducting modern SEAD (suppression of enemy air defense) operations against it. Once that was gone the Israeli Air Force (and the USAF) could do whatever it liked over Iran.; 1/3/26, 6:07 PM
buwaya said...: There is a weird tendency to underestimate Israel. Or is that just all losers fantasizing? Arabs, btw love to live in fantasy palaces. Its a thing.; 1/3/26, 6:10 PM
Original Mike said...: "Isn’t Marco coaching Penn State too?"

LOL; 1/3/26, 6:14 PM
john mosby said...: Maynard: "Rubio has been a very pleasant surprise in the Trump II administration, so far. I had not thought particularly well of him as a Senator. I am still voting for JD Vance in 2028."

Yes, Rubio may be doing too well in his current job to risk promoting him out of it. CC, JSM; 1/3/26, 6:17 PM
Kirk Parker said...: Peachypeachy @ 5:28,

I would say, rather, that most Americans didn't know that in the first place. In fact I think a majority, if you ask them, would say, "Maduro who???"; 1/3/26, 6:33 PM
pious agnostic said...: I'll never understand the Rubio hatred.; 1/3/26, 6:37 PM
Joe Bar said...: If Rubio runs against Vance in 2028, that will be a hard choice. Rubio has said he won’t. We shall see. Either one is good, as far as I can see.; 1/3/26, 6:39 PM
Jim at said...: I'll never understand the Rubio hatred.

Immigration Gang of Eight.; 1/3/26, 6:57 PM
Steven (Original) said...: I have been a little surprised by Vance's absence in the whole Venezuela affair. Is Trump pushing Rubio forward now so that Rubio and Vance will need to duke it out of for the nomination in 2028? A hotly contested primary between two popular MAGA Republicans would certainly suck all the air out of the room for any non-MAGA Republican seeking the nomination, ensuring a continuation of Trump's legacy (assuming the winner can go on to victory in the general election).; 1/3/26, 7:56 PM
bagoh20 said...: Hard to argue that any of those places would be worse off under Rubio compared to who they have now?; 1/3/26, 8:01 PM
narciso said...: They didnt want to tip off opposition figures; 1/3/26, 8:02 PM
narciso said...: Meaning democrats; 1/3/26, 8:06 PM
Paul said...: Musk forgot to add Regent of North Korea..; 1/3/26, 8:07 PM
Political Junkie said...: Rubio - Viceroy; 1/3/26, 8:57 PM
Maynard said...: Yes, Rubio may be doing too well in his current job to risk promoting him out of it. CC, JSM

Agreed.

Vance is smarter and has more balls. At least I hope so.; 1/3/26, 10:12 PM
Ampersand said...: The preoccupation of some commenters with the precedential aspect of a military incursion to enforce an arrest warrant seems utterly quaint. How can anyone not understand that no nation is immune from this unless that nation can credibly deter the tactic? The reason that no US president has been hauled into court in the Soviet Union, China, or Iran isn't that anyone is deterred by "precedent". Nobody is thinking deep thoughts about international law. They are deterred by the likelihood of their imminent extinction, should they attempt the tactic. This is realpolitik at its most real. Maduro couldn't defend his borders, and so he has no borders left to defend. Food for thought. Defensible working borders are not optional.; 1/3/26, 11:56 PM
RCOCEAN II said...: "Second BTW, if you guys are successful in eliminating Bibi, you still have another Zionist on this site to eliminate - Me."

So, Bibi posts here? Wow. Althouse does have a reach.; 1/4/26, 1:00 AM
RCOCEAN II said...: I wouldn't call Bibi a zionist.

An at-large war criminal? Yes. Corrupt? Yes. Immoral? Yes. Trump's Boss? Yes. An Israeli? Yes.; 1/4/26, 1:03 AM
Temujin said...: Not for nothing, but I doubt Cuba lasts 2026 as a communist nation. Wheels are turning. And Secy. Rubio is one of those steering.; 1/4/26, 5:45 AM
Left Bank of the Charles said...: Elon Musk is a neocon! The correct title for Rubio would be viceroy. And add Gaza, Nigeria, Columbia, and Mexico to the list.; 1/4/26, 7:22 AM
FredSays said...: El jefe.; 1/4/26, 7:48 AM
Rusty said...: ’Without filing to the World Court under international law…’

This is Sparta!
You saw that coming, right?
Timid people always like to defer to authority. The rest of us take the initiative and get it done.; 1/4/26, 11:39 AM