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President Donald Trump delivered a blunt, but humorous message to leaders from across Latin America: don’t expect him to brush up on their languages anytime soon.
The president made the remarks Saturday during the “Shield of the Americas” gathering at his luxury golf resort, Trump National Doral Miami. The event was billed by the U.S. State Department as a strategy session focused on protecting the Western Hemisphere from threats such as foreign meddling, powerful drug cartels, criminal gangs, and the ongoing pressures of illegal and mass migration.
Yet it quickly turned into a classic Trump moment — part off-the-cuff banter, part political theater.
While chatting with leaders from across the region, Trump joked about his busy schedule and admitted he had no plans to study Spanish or any other regional language. Instead, he leaned into humor about relying on translators.
“I’d love to get to your countries at some point,” Trump said, before turning the spotlight toward Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whose Cuban heritage makes him fluent in Spanish.
Trump told the crowd: “Marco loves going to your countries. He’s always at one of these countries. He likes your countries the best, you know?” He then launched into a playful imitation of a conversation with Rubio:
“Where are you?”
“I’m in Chile.”
“Oh, good, how’s Chile doing?”
“Good.”
Trump continued by praising Rubio’s linguistic edge — and bluntly admitting he had no intention of following suit.
“He likes it, he feels very comfortable — we all like him, right? He’s got a language, he’s got a language advantage over me. ’Cause I’m not learning your damn language. I don’t have time. I was okay with languages, but I’m not going to spend time learning your language. That much I won’t do. Just give me a good interpreter. Interpreter — very important.”
When Rubio took the podium, the secretary of state checked with the president before addressing Spanish-speaking viewers.
“If I may, because some of these cameras cover in Spanish. You all right —”
Trump quickly waved him on. “Good, please,” Trump said.
Rubio quipped back with a grin: “Oh, good. We don’t need an interpreter for this one.” The moment drew laughs from attendees before the summit moved on to more formal remarks.
After Rubio finished, Trump introduced Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who added his own dose of humor. Assuring the president he would keep things simple, Hegseth joked: “I only speak American.”
Officials said leaders from a wide swath of the region were represented at the summit, including Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, and Trinidad and Tobago.
But several heavyweight players were noticeably absent. According to reports, the region’s two largest powers — Brazil and Mexico — were not in attendance. Colombia, long considered central to U.S. anti-drug strategy in Latin America, also skipped the gathering. Cuba likewise did not participate.
Among the political figures spotted at the summit was former Department of Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem. She is set to take on a new role tied to the initiative as the “Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas.”
The White House later released video clips of the lively exchange, capturing a summit that blended serious policy talk with the unscripted style that has become a hallmark of Trump’s public appearances.
🚨 OMG. President Trump is HILARIOUS!
Speaking to Latin American leaders: “Marco Rubio has a language advantage over me. ‘Cause I’m NOT learning your DAMN language, I don’t have time!” 😂
“I had an interpreter that wasn’t good…even though I don’t speak language, I could tell… pic.twitter.com/T20zxkrQDA
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) March 7, 2026
