On January 9, 2026, President Donald Trump read a handwritten note from Secretary of State Marco Rubio out loud during a televised press conference at the White House. The moment occurred while Trump was meeting with executives from major oil and gas companies, including Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, and others, to discuss potential investments in Venezuela’s energy sector following recent U.S. actions in the region.
The Incident
Seated between Vice President JD Vance and Secretary Rubio, Trump was addressing the room when Rubio passed him a note. Trump announced to the attendees: “Marco just gave me a note…”
He then read the contents aloud: “‘Go back to Chevron. They want to discuss something.’ I’m going back to Chevron. Thank you, Marco.”
As Trump read the note, Vice President Vance appeared amused, while Rubio smiled in apparent discomfort, capping his pen and glancing down. Trump patted Rubio on the back after finishing.
A voice off-camera asked if there was a question, prompting Trump to pick up the note again and say, “Yes, go ahead,” before turning to Rubio: “Marco, what was the, what are you saying here?”
Secretary of Energy Chris Wright then intervened, directing Chevron Vice Chairman Mark Nelson to provide updates on the company’s operations in Venezuela. During Nelson’s remarks, Rubio retrieved the note, folded it, and tucked it away.
The note’s instruction to “go back to Chevron” came amid discussions where Trump was encouraging oil executives to invest in rebuilding Venezuela’s petroleum infrastructure. Chevron is currently the only major U.S. oil company with ongoing operations in Venezuela through a joint venture. The prompt likely aimed to redirect attention to Chevron’s representative for further input on ground-level operations and potential achievements in the next 12-18 months.
This is not the first time Rubio has passed a note to Trump during a public meeting. In October 2025, during a session with conservative influencers, Rubio provided a handwritten note captured by photographers that read: “You need to approve a Truth Social post soon so you can announce deal first.” It related to a tentative peace agreement between Israel and Hamas. Trump referenced the note publicly, stating he had been informed of progress in the Middle East and needed to address it promptly.
