Call it the hug heard ’round the world. Or, rather, the hug-that-almost-was heard ’round the world?
Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio and Ivanka Trump joined in on the social media laughs after a photo showing the pair in some sort of awkward embrace went viral.
The photo that started everything was snapped by Associated Press reporter Erica Werner and shared on her Twitter feed as Rubio and Trump prepared to discuss paid family leave at the Senate on Tuesday. In it, Rubio's face is blurred and his arms are reaching around Trump. Meanwhile, Trump's arms are at her side and some of her hair is flying in front of her face.
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Twitter users jumped on the moment, comparing it to other well-known awkward hugs.
Rubio began tweeting that he was launching an “investigation” into the hug and the resulting photo.
“Just left Intel comm & informed meeting 2day with @IvankaTrump blowing up twitter over alleged failed hug! Investigating. Will respond soon,” Rubio tweeted.
Fresh off his Senate Intelligence Committee meeting, Rubio said he had “unclassified” evidence of the incident.
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Of course, witnesses were sought.
And then — the evidence! Rubio tweeted another shot of the encounter, this one with both his and Trump’s faces a blur.
Rubio even managed to slip in a "covfefe," a reference to a cryptic late-night tweet sent by President Donald Trump.
Trump soon tweeted her own response to the “investigation.”
“There really needs to be more hugs in politics... even failed ones,” Trump’s brother, Donald Trump Jr., later tweeted.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
