{"id":2599433,"date":"2026-05-06T11:51:02","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T15:51:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rubio-schools-white-house-press-corps-then-faces-reality-of-iran-messaging\/"},"modified":"2026-05-06T11:53:06","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T15:53:06","slug":"rubio-schools-white-house-press-corps-then-faces-reality-of-iran-messaging","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rubio-schools-white-house-press-corps-then-faces-reality-of-iran-messaging\/","title":{"rendered":"Rubio schools White House press corps, then faces reality of Iran messaging"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Frubio-schools-white-house-press-corps-then-faces-reality-of-iran-messaging%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2599433&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Washington Secrets describes how marco Rubio filled in for press secretary Karoline Leavitt while she\u2019s on maternity leave, delivering a sharp, witty briefing packed with \u201990s rap references and a clear focus on his message. For about 50 minutes,Rubio schools the White House press corps-bantering,mocking chaos in the Q&#038;A,and repeatedly emphasizing his argument that \u201cProject Freedom\u201d is a defensive effort tied to escorting civilian ships through the Strait of Hormuz.  <\/p>\n<p>The moment quickly unraveled: within hours of Rubio leaving the podium,President Donald Trump publicly undercut the briefing\u2019s framing by announcing that Project Freedom woudl be paused while an agreement is finalized. The piece also recounts Rubio\u2019s chaotic welcome in the room-reporters shouting questions, joking his way through confusion about seating and who he\u2019d call on, and fixating particularly on Iran and Cuba.  <\/p>\n<p>It closes with \u201cLunchtime reading,\u201d pointing to political and human-interest items, including reports about Trump\u2019s influence in Indiana and a humorous story about the Pope calling customer service.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p><strong><em>Welcome to Wednesday\u2019s edition of <\/em>Washington Secrets<em>. We were in the briefing room on Tuesday to watch Marco Rubio fill in for Karoline Leavitt while she is on maternity leave. It was a masterclass of messaging, dressed up in wit and \u201990s rap lyrics. And then President Donald Trump blew it all up with a Truth Social post. Such is the life of the president\u2019s messengers. You can read my piece about being in the room after a quick bit about why being Trump\u2019s press secretary is the toughest job in the administration\u2026<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Did <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/marco-rubio\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/marco-rubio\/\">Marco Rubio<\/a> know what he was getting himself into? Or did he only find out on Tuesday evening that being President Donald Trump\u2019s press secretary is the toughest job in the administration?<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/washington-secrets\/4556314\/marco-rubio-schools-white-house-press-corps\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Marco Rubio schools misbehaving White House press corps with master class in wit<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/washington-secrets\/4555009\/marco-rubio-white-house-press-briefing-media-drought\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Marco Rubio ends his media drought in the highest-profile way possible<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/washington-secrets\/4553496\/pat-buchanan-lifetime-bulldog-award-media-watchdog\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Pat Buchanan is honored with lifetime \u2018Bulldog\u2019 award by media watchdog<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>For 50 minutes, he had given a bravura performance (more on that below) as Karoline Leavitt\u2019s maternity leave cover, taking the boisterous White House press corps to task with a mix of jokes, \u201990s rap lyrics, and, above all, hammering his main message.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Operation Epic Fury was over, he said. The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4555991\/rubio-project-freedom-defensive-operation\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4555991\/rubio-project-freedom-defensive-operation\/\">focus was now defensive in the form of Project Freedom<\/a>, the operation to escort civilian shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n<p>Less than two hours after Rubio left the briefing room podium, the president undercut his message. With progress being made in talks, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense\/4556496\/trump-pause-project-freedom-iran-strait-of-hormuz\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense\/4556496\/trump-pause-project-freedom-iran-strait-of-hormuz\/\">he announced that<\/a> \u201cProject Freedom (The Movement of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz) will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>No wonder, as <em>Secrets <\/em>reported yesterday, Rubio had been <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/washington-secrets\/4555009\/marco-rubio-white-house-press-briefing-media-drought\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/washington-secrets\/4555009\/marco-rubio-white-house-press-briefing-media-drought\/\">staying away from the job<\/a> of Iran messaging. In April, he gave only a single TV interview. In contrast, during the two previous months, he had averaged six or seven media interactions.<\/p>\n<p>An insider told us that it was smart to stay out of the way during a fluid moment when the boss is known for changing direction quickly.<\/p>\n<p>Rubio hinted that he knew the problem during his briefing. \u201cI think the president, without trying to speak for him\u2026\u201d he said at one point, perhaps not realizing that the press secretary\u2019s job is entirely to be the spokesperson for the president.<\/p>\n<p>Anyway, the only question now is who will fill in for Leavitt. When will Vice President JD Vance, who spent part of Tuesday in the early nominating state of Iowa, triggering a slew of stories about his <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4556500\/rubio-vance-2028-iran\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4556500\/rubio-vance-2028-iran\/\">good-natured rivalry with Rubio<\/a>, get his turn?<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-my-view-from-the-room\">My view from the room<\/h2>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >briefing room door slid open<\/a> six inches, and Marco Rubio pushed his face through the gap. It was less like Jack Nicholson in \u201cThe Shining,\u201d and more like a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/marco-rubio-schools-white-house-press-corps-with-master-class-in-wit\/\" title=\"Marco ... ... press corps ...h master class in ...\">goofy substitute teacher pulling<\/a> a face to win over what he knew would be a difficult room.<\/p>\n<p>It worked. Up to a point.<\/p>\n<p>The audience chortled while the dual-hatted Secretary of State and national security adviser took on yet another role, maternity cover for press secretary Karoline Leavitt.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThank you for having me today,\u201d he said, before launching into his spiel about why \u201cProject Freedom\u201d was very much a defensive operation to keep Iranian gunboats from interfering with shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a completely different proposition to \u201cOperation Epic Fury,\u201d which was over anyway. <\/p>\n<p>Things started smoothly enough. The first question went to a reporter in the new media seat. She asked about whether he had evidence that Iran was ready to drop its nuclear weapons program.<\/p>\n<p>Things began to unravel when he called on someone in the back row. They had questions about Iran and about Cuba.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo they get to ask two questions on this?\u201d Rubio muttered in the direction of White House Communications Director Steven Cheung, who was making a rare visit to the briefing room as if he knew it was going to be quite the show.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou can ask two questions, and I\u2019ll give you one answer \u2026 I\u2019ll take the one I like best,\u201d he said with a smile after apparently making up his own policy on the matter.<\/p>\n<p>Someone crammed into the aisle took a selfie in the meantime, capturing their own image with the Secretary of State in the background. It was that kind of day.<\/p>\n<p>A reporter in the back row welcomed Rubio to the White House. He probably would have handed him an apple, too, if he hadn\u2019t been at the back of the room.<\/p>\n<p>At every pause, a sea of hands erupted into the air. Questions were shouted out on Colombia, Venezuela, Cuba \u2026 especially Cuba, one of Rubio\u2019s pet subjects.<\/p>\n<p>A reporter from the <em>Daily Mail<\/em> asked him about a photograph posted on social media from a meeting he had with U.S. Southern Command. It showed Rubio in front of a map of Cuba, raising intense speculation that the communist island was about to be Venezuelaed or worse.<\/p>\n<p>It brought a masterclass in press handling from Rubio. His answer dripped in humor, of the sarcastic variety, and left the story as deep underwater as those seven Iranian gunboats he likes to talk about.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCuba\u2019s in SOUTHCOM, you know?\u201d he said. \u201cThere happened to be a map of Cuba, because it\u2019s like the closest thing that\u2019s in SOUTHCOM to the U.S.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He wasn\u2019t done. After a pause, he delivered the coup de grace:\u00a0\u201cWe have maps of other countries!\u201d <\/p>\n<p>The substitute teacher was showing who was in charge. The elite members of the White House press corps elite questioners were being treated like dim students.<\/p>\n<p>It brought another chuckle from reporters who are more used to drier answers and less camouflaged contempt. But he still didn\u2019t know who anyone was.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m winging it, guys,\u201d he said at one point as he searched for familiar faces.<\/p>\n<p>He said he\u2019d been given a seating map, but he\u2019d lost it en route to the lectern.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSome of you had little red crosses,\u201d he said to more gales of laughter. It was funny because it was probably true.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m kidding,\u201d he added, with the sort of denial that made it seem even truer.<\/p>\n<p>Everyone had their hand in the air by this point. Everybody was shouting at the nation\u2019s top diplomat as if he were an Amazon delivery driver taking a plasma TV to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cnn-hires-cartoon-network-host-unapologetic-content-thief-who-regurgitates-witless-conservative-bashing\/\" title=\"CNN+ Hires Cartoon Network Host, \u2018Unapologetic Content Thief... Who Regurgitates \u2018...less Conservative-Bashing...\">wrong house<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>And everyone was pretending that the Rubio finger had pointed at them, not the person of the opposite sex dressed in pink five seats away.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe first one I called on,\u201d said Rubio. \u201cThis is chaos.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Next time, he said, he would bring a laser pointer.<\/p>\n<p>Yet he made his point above the hubbub. <\/p>\n<p>At times, he did it with humor, at times by hammering the same point. With a wrinkled brow and the tone of a teacher explaining the error of their ways to a child who has been held back more than one school year, he gently spelled out the consequences for Iran of keeping along the same course.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey are facing real, catastrophic destruction to their economy, generational destruction to their economy, generational destruction to the wealth of their country imposed on themselves by the actions that they\u2019re taking,\u201d Rubio said, before sprinkling in an Ice Cube lyric from the \u201990s.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey should check themselves before they wreck themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He was gone soon after, his final words drowned out in more shouted questions about Iran, Venezuela, and Cuba. Especially Cuba.<\/p>\n<p>His job was done. The room had been schooled.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-lunchtime-reading\">Lunchtime reading<\/h2>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/2026-election\/indiana-legislators-primary-election-trump-redistricting-state-senate-rcna343321?taid=69fb2d750fdc87000175b126&#038;utm_campaign=trueanthem&#038;utm_medium=social&#038;utm_source=twitter\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/2026-election\/indiana-legislators-primary-election-trump-redistricting-state-senate-rcna343321?taid=69fb2d750fdc87000175b126&#038;utm_campaign=trueanthem&#038;utm_medium=social&#038;utm_source=twitter\"><strong>Trump exacts revenge in Indiana over redistricting vote<\/strong><\/a>: Not a lame duck. The results from Indiana, where five of six incumbents were ousted by MAGA forces, proved there are real consequences for Republican state legislators who resist Trump\u2019s redistricting push.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/05\/05\/us\/pope-leo-xiv-bank-customer-service.html\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/05\/05\/us\/pope-leo-xiv-bank-customer-service.html\"><strong>What happened when the Pope had to call customer service<\/strong><\/a>: This is delicious. \u201cWould it matter to you if I told you I\u2019m Pope Leo?\u201d he asked. She hung up.<\/p>\n<p><strong><strong><em>You are reading<\/em> Washington Secrets<em>, a guide to power and politics in D.C. and beyond. It is written by Rob Crilly, who you can reach at <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#4e3d2b2d3c2b3a3d0e392f3d262720293a21202b362f2327202b3c602d2123\"><span class=\"__cf_email__\" data-cfemail=\"4c3f292f3e29383f0c3b2d3f2425222b38232229342d212522293e622f2321\">[email\u00a0protected]<\/span><\/a> with your comments, story tips, and suggestion<\/em><\/strong><em><strong>s. If a friend sent you this and you\u2019d like to sign up, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/click1.trk-washingtonexaminer.com\/xprvgynrhhctscghtpnrptnqlrtypjmjlkrlcnpvhgpdcr_jtjrvfbrrsmwbqmnsbmvsv.html?a=Washington+Secrets+Lara+Trump&#038;b=01%2F21%2F2026&#038;c=WEX_Washington+Secrets&#038;d=25812206&#038;e=da31c45955c9411a6c40ecd0e967fa8def1f0fc08362faaa0dee09386ff5c41b\">click here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome to Wednesday\u2019s Washington Secrets: Rubio covered Leavitt\u2019s maternity leave-masterful messaging-until Trump derailed it<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4136,"featured_media":2599434,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26125724069516.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[79205,33092,5438,32127],"class_list":["post-2599433","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-iran-messaging","tag-press-corps","tag-rubio","tag-white-house"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26125724069516.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2599433","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4136"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2599433"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2599433\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2599437,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2599433\/revisions\/2599437"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2599434"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2599433"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2599433"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2599433"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}