Marco Rubio's One-Day WH Press Secretary Gig Was Chaotic, Funny, and Surprisingly Brutal

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By Teri Christoph

Well, you can add yet another job to Secretary of State Marco Rubio's ever-growing resume: White House press secretary. 

Rubio was behind the podium at Tuesday's White House press briefing, taking on – for one day, at least – the duties of Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt while she's on maternity leave following the birth of her daughter last week. He entered the press briefing room with a sheepish grin on his face, knowing that he was likely about to be meme'd into next week.

Secretary Rubio kicked things off with a statement about Project Freedom, the ongoing effort to restore the free flow of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. The goal of the operation, said the secretary, is to rescue civilians who've been trapped inside the Persian Gulf.

He added, "This is not an offensive operation. This is a defensive operation, and what that means is very simple: there’s no shooting unless we're shot at first. We’re not attacking them, but if they're attacking us or they’re attacking a ship, you need to respond to that."

Rubio also noted that Operation Epic Fury "continues to impose maximum pressure on the Iranian regime and what remains of their already frail economy" and theat "every day the conflict continues... our leverage on Iran will continue to increase, and their position will continue to weaken." Of particular interest, the secretary indicated that Operation Epic Fury is "concluded," saying the Trump administration is not "cheering" for additional military strikes on Iran.

It was definitely an entirely different vibe when it was time for Rubio to take the media's questions, something Karoline Leavitt handles with her trademark direct and to-the-point style of handling the press (often delivered with a healthy amount of disdain for the press corps). Things were, well, a little bit chaotic with Rubio behind the podium.

Some highlights from the Q&A:

He took a pretty brutal swing at the UN.

Secretary Rubio on the UN's response to Iran in the Strait of Hormuz:

"What is the purpose of the UN?! The UN was supposed to be a place where you could peacefully resolve global conflict."

"Right now you have a country who is unlawfully, criminally, and illegally taking possession of an international waterway and blowing up commercial vessels and putting mines in the water."

"If you're telling me that the international community and hundreds of countries cannot rally behind that, then I don't know what the utility of the UN system is!"

"If it can't even solve something as straightforward as THAT."

His hopes for America:

REPORTER: “You've had a deep faith for God and country…. What is your hope for America at a time such as this?”

SECRETARY RUBIO: "My hope for America? It's the same as it's always been. I think it's the hope we all share. We want it to continue to be the place where anyone from anywhere can achieve anything — where you're not limited by the circumstances of your birth, the color of your skin, or your ethnicity."

“But frankly, it's a place where you are able to overcome challenges and achieve your full potential. I think that should be the goal of every country in the world, frankly.

“But I think in the U.S. we're not perfect. Our history is not one of perfection, but it's still better than anybody else's history.”

"It is a unique and exceptional country. And as we come upon this 250-year anniversary, I think we have a lot to learn and be proud of in our history. It is one of perpetual and continuous improvement, where each generation has done its part to bring us closer to fulfilling the vision that the founders of this country had upon its founding."

And his DJ name:

You can watch Secretary of State Marco Rubio's entire White House press briefing here:
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