It's been such a big, serious news day. Let's lighten the mood a bit, shall we? 

Last week, during a cabinet meeting, Secretary of State Marco Rubio made a joke about how he was afraid to eat anything in front of Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Eric Daugherty of Florida's Voice posted on X, "Who expected Marco Rubio to make the entire Cabinet room burst out laughing?" 

The thing is, if you've ever paid any attention, Secretary Rubio has always had a great sense of humor, and that was on full display on Wednesday at the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute Gala, during which he was given the Lifetime Leadership Award. I'm really not interested in these sort of things, and I don't know why you'd give a "lifetime" anything award to someone who is in the prime of his career — and a historical career at that — but when I saw the press release about it in my email, I decided to check it out. 

I'm glad I did. Despite the fact that he claimed he didn't know he would be speaking, Rubio's personality was on full display. While it's not the most important thing by any means, I love that this Donald Trump administration isn't afraid to do that — to operate like actual human beings. I love how open the cabinet meetings are. I love that they joke around. I love that they're not just these automated bureaucrats like the ones who have come before them. I love that the president takes impromptu questions from the press at least once a week. I love that he sometimes says dumb things just to ruffle the feathers of these reporters who take themselves way too seriously. 

Related: The Hardest Working Man in the Trump Administration

So, Rubio started by joking that he is "shy in front of audiences" (if you pay any attention, he's definitely not — he's a phenomenal speaker) and added, "This lifetime achievement award or lifetime leadership award is a little scary because it’s like that’s it, you’re over, it’s done. Usually they give it to you at the end — but because you don’t know what I’m going to do in the next three years, maybe you’ll want the award back in a couple years if things don’t work out. I hope not." The crowd roared with laughter. 

He also joked that he was "glad that the president of the Dominican Republic is here so he can go back and say, boy, they really like Marco Rubio back in the United States." But one of the best lines of the night was when he joked about having four jobs now (Secretary of State, Acting National Security Advisor, Acting Administrator of USAID, and Archivist of the United States for those of you keeping track at home):  

And I was reflecting just for a moment before I came here today, and  – so a couple points. It’s a tremendous honor to serve as Secretary of State, and when I joined the administration early on, they said one of the initiatives that we’re pursuing is to increase efficiency in government. In essence, they want to be able to do more while spending less...  for example, they said one of the things we want you to look at is consolidation.  Can you take, for example, what today are four jobs and just give them all to one person? And I said that sounds like a great idea – we should do that across the government. Little did I know, they just meant me. But it is an honor to be here tonight on behalf of the National Archives to speak to all of you... 

Later he quipped that he'd also been pushing for surgeon general: "...and the surgeon general.  No, I’m kidding. I’m not that. I wanted it. I wanted it. You get a uniform. Do you know you get a uniform if you’re a surgeon general? I wanted it but they had given it away.  You know what would be good? Library of Congress. That would be a good job."  

Recommended: You Won't Believe What Rubio Found In Biden's State Department Files

Rubio, who spoke for quite a while, went on to tell some stories about his days before he became a politician. While I was not familiar with some of the other people involved, it was still interesting to learn a little more about that. Some of it was even inspirational. He wrapped with this: 

One of the things that allowed me as a young person to believe that it was possible for me to have these aspirations was because there were people who sort of, kind of came from the same background I did who were already in those positions, because 20 years before or 15 years before that wasn’t the case. But when you’re a 23, 24-year-old young person growing up in Miami who aspires to one day serve in higher office, and you see someone who comes from your community and the same background that you came from who now is in those positions, you know what it triggers in your brain? That I could do it too. If someone like me could be doing it now, I can do that in the future.  And I think that’s a very powerful thing that all of us have an obligation to continue to pass on. 

And added that the "next Archivist of the United States of America may be sitting in this audience right now," which cracked the crowd up again. 

You can watch the entire speech here if you like. 

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