Trump Says He May Fire Marco Rubio for Getting Too Popular

President Donald Trump joked on Sunday night in Salina, Kansas, that he might sack Secretary of State Marco Rubio because the top diplomat is getting too popular.

The remark was made during his final midterm campaign rally to endorse incumbent Republican Senator Roger Marshall, according to the original account of the event.

The Trump Rubio joke came as the president invited Rubio to the stage at the Salina gathering. According to USA Today, Trump told the crowd, "People are loving this guy," before turning to Rubio.

"He's getting a little bit too popular. I'm not happy about this, I don't like it," Trump stated. "If he gets any more popular, I got to say 'You're fired.'"

USA Today reported that Trump later praised Rubio as doing a great job, while Gulf News reported that the president described him as a "great guy" who could go down as perhaps the best secretary of state the country has had.

The Trump Rubio joke follows a pattern. Gulf News noted that Trump had made similar quips in February after Rubio's Munich speech and again in Corpus Christi when the crowd chanted Rubio's name.