During a campaign stop in late February 2016, then-presidential hopeful Donald Trump took a swipe at Sen. Marco Rubio, one of his many competitors during the Republican primaries. “When they put Marco on to refute President Obama’s speech, do you remember that catastrophe?” he asked the crowd. “‘I need water, help me I need water. Help!’ This is on live television. This total choke artist.” Trump, of course, was referring to Rubio’s infamous water break during his televised response to President Obama’s 2013 State of the Union Address. On Wednesday, karma clogged Trump’s evidently dried-out windpipe.
“Thank you,” he said before bending over to see if there was any water for him underneath the podium. When he came up empty-handed, Trump quipped, “They don’t have water. That’s okay.” Just before the president plowed into the remainder of his prepared remarks, however, someone off-camera indicated that a bottle of water was located near him — prompting Trump to again leave the cameras’ vantage point and return with an unused bottle. After opening it with some apparent difficulty, he took a quick, awkward drink and continue on with his speech.
Before the bottle left the president’s hands, however, journalists, politicos, and Twitter trolls were quick to notice the scene’s eerie similarity to Rubio’s previous farce.
Trump pulls a Rubio. Stops for water break
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) November 15, 2017
https://twitter.com/timdonnelly/status/930899333595222016
RUBIO MOMENT!!!!
— Sam Stein (@samstein) November 15, 2017
https://twitter.com/rynprry/status/930902641575694338
“Oh yeah? If the water’s not poisoned, why don’t you take a sip first?" pic.twitter.com/cvwpRkZz4U
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) November 15, 2017
Many were quick to reference Trump’s previous negative comments about Rubio’s famous water break during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Donald Trump takes a break during his speech to drink water. Last year, on the campaign trail, he relentlessly mocked Marco Rubio for doing something similar during a national address.
— Anthony Zurcher (@awzurcher) November 15, 2017
https://twitter.com/SteveKopack/status/930902222770266112
https://twitter.com/SopanDeb/status/930899925394690054
https://twitter.com/CillizzaCNN/status/930901282084261888
If I recall, Rubio's water bottle was already open and it wasn't Fiji. An aide will (rightly) get in trouble for that — I've never seen POTUS not have a glass of water nearby.
— Jeff Zeleny (@jeffzeleny) November 15, 2017
https://twitter.com/jbarro/status/930914200309903362
Rubio himself, however, had the last laugh.
Similar,but needs work on his form.Has to be done in one single motion & eyes should never leave the camera. But not bad for his 1st time https://t.co/s49JtyRo3S
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) November 15, 2017