US Secretary of State Marco Rubio drew laughter from the audience on Saturday after joking about the intense Delhi heat while delivering remarks at a diplomatic event in the capital.
Speaking at the inauguration of the U.S. Embassy Support Annex Building in New Delhi, Rubio kept his address brief, saying the weather had influenced his decision to shorten the speech.
“I wanted to keep this speech short because it’s hot! I’m from Miami and that is like humid hot but this is something else,” he said, prompting smiles from attendees.
He continued in a light-hearted tone, looking around the venue and adding, “What time is it? Shouldn’t it be getting cooler? So, I don’t want to keep you much longer than you need to be.”
The remarks drew laughter from the audience, easing the formal tone of the diplomatic event.
Earlier in the day, Rubio met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Sewa Teerth in New Delhi on May 23 during his four-day visit to India. The hour-long discussion came amid strengthening India–US relations and marked Rubio’s first visit to the country in his current role, having earlier visited as a US senator.
During the meeting, he also conveyed an invitation from President Trump, inviting Modi to visit the White House in the future.
