Marco Rubio stood on the New York Stock Exchange floor on Monday, 21 September 2026, rang the opening bell, and then flashed the “Gator Chomp”, the open-and-shut arm gesture of University of Florida fans, at the crowd around him.
The bell was the opening act of United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week. The State Department posted images and a video of the ceremony on X with a one-line caption saying the Secretary of State was kicking off the week in New York.
The Gator Chomp and the message
The gesture had a personal edge. Rubio graduated from Florida in 1993, and his son Anthony plays running back for the Gators. Two days earlier the team had beaten Auburn 44-39 and climbed to 21st in the national rankings, according to CiberCuba.
Rubio used the moment to pitch the administration’s economic line. “Under President Trump, we are putting American workers and businesses first: forging trade deals, securing supply chains, and unleashing our economy,” he wrote on X. “This is how we deliver real prosperity to every American.”
The exchange has hosted an opening bell ceremony since 1903, the year it moved to 11 Wall Street. The honor usually goes to listed companies, executives and well-known public figures.
What the week holds
The 81st session of the General Assembly opened on September 8. Its general debate runs from September 22 to 28, with presidents, prime ministers and senior representatives of all 193 member states due to speak. This year’s theme is “Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all.” Bangladesh’s Khalilur Rahman is presiding.
Rubio is staying in the city to accompany President Donald Trump, who is scheduled to address the Assembly on Tuesday. The State Department said Rubio will press the UN to return to its core mandate of maintaining international peace and security while respecting national sovereignty.
Trump’s own calendar was crowded. According to the White House schedule cited by ANI, he was to meet New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday in a session closed to the press, then French President Emmanuel Macron, followed by a Republican National Committee reception and a MAGA Inc. dinner. On Tuesday he was due to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Washington pushes for de-escalation between Russia and Ukraine. Axios reported that Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s chief negotiator and head of its Foreign Intelligence Service, had been working with White House envoys to arrange the talks.
It will be the last General Assembly for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. “We have to choose to be hopeful, not hopeless,” he said on X.
Sources
- Marco Rubio rings NYSE bell to kick off UN General Assembly week | Asianet Newsable
- Marco Rubio rings the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on the eve of the UN General Assembly
