Description: A joke made during Pedro Sánchez's October 22, 2026 interview returned on October 27, when the politician being teased appeared in person. Here is the meaning and the comeback.
Gabriel Rufián was compared to a foldable iPhone because his ambitious proposal to unite Spain's left-wing parties attracted attention but did not produce the broad alliance originally envisaged. On La Revuelta on October 27, he said he had not found the joke funny, although his friends had. The person being roasted provided the follow-up punchline.
Where did the joke begin?
La Revuelta, hosted by David Broncano on Spanish public broadcaster RTVE, combines celebrity interviews with unpredictable comedy. When Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited on October 22, the programme recalled a comparison associated with comedian Jorge Ponce: Rufián was like an iPhone that folds, impressive at first sight but leaving you wondering what it is actually for. It was a dig at political outcomes, not a technical review of a phone.
What happened when Rufián came back?
On October 27, Rufián appeared with Irene Montero of Podemos. They belong to different parties but were cooperating before Spain's November 29 general election. Broncano asked whether he had been too gentle with Sánchez in the previous interview. Rufián brought up the folding-phone joke. Asked whether it was a good gag, he admitted it had not amused him, while his friends had laughed. RTVE published a dedicated clip of the gift-giving and banter, as well as the full episode.
Why does the metaphor land?
A folding phone suggests innovation, spectacle and high expectations. The question of usefulness suddenly reverses the compliment. Rufián had advocated a larger alliance of the left, but the electoral cooperation that materialized mainly involved ERC and Podemos, rather than all left-wing parties. The joke compresses the distance between a bold pitch and a narrower result into an everyday object. It is satire, not an objective verdict on the politician's policies.
Why was his response funnier?
A politician confronted with a joke about himself might politely laugh or become defensive. Rufián did neither: he openly said he disliked it, then conceded that his friends enjoyed it. The contrast between the target's reaction and everyone else's amusement became the second joke. Broncano added context about the much larger expectations raised earlier in the year.
Bottom line
The folding-iPhone line mocked the gap between political ambition and achievement. The October 27 callback worked because Rufián refused to endorse the gag, then admitted his friends had already laughed. This account relies on broadcaster descriptions and contemporary reports; it does not claim a full viewing of the video.
References (5)
- RTVE, 27 October 2026, interview and gifts: https://www.rtve.es/play/videos/la-revuelta/regalos-pulla-gabriel-rufian-irene-montero/17286353/
- RTVE, full programme, 27 October 2026: https://www.rtve.es/play/videos/la-revuelta/programa-27-10-2026-gabriel-rufian-irene-montero-fernandocosta-dollar-selmouni/17286287/
- FormulaTV, original comparison in Sánchez interview, 23 October 2026: https://www.formulatv.com/videos/pedro-sanchez-rufian-esquerra-revuelta-30050/
- El HuffPost, Rufián's reaction, 27 October 2026: https://www.huffingtonpost.es/virales/gabriel-rufian-acuerda-dijo-david-broncano-el-pedro-sanchez-responde-a-mi-me-hizo-puta-gracia-f202610.html
- RTVE, context and campaign cooperation, 27 October 2026: https://www.rtve.es/play/noticias/20261027/gabriel-rufian-irene-montero-revuelta-broncano-directo-video-cronica/17285585.shtml
