Rubio is as ready to be POTUS as he is the rock star of the Trump administration
From DJing a weekend wedding to hosting the White House press conference as a boss, from velvet-gloved speaking in Europe to juggling the roles of secretary of state and director of the NSA during wartime, Marco Rubio is the administration’s secret bombshell.
President Trump brings him up whenever he has a problem to solve.
Whether he’s filling in as national archivist, blowing cartel drug boats out of the water, DOGEing USAID to death or sitting as vice chairman of the “college sports preservation” council, Rubio is Mr. Trump’s fix-it.
His time on Tuesday to take over for White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt, who is on maternity leave, had a negative impact on several fronts: his casual use of rap and hip-hop terms like “you’re out of your mind” (Cypress Hill) to describe Iran’s leaders and his warning that they should “check themselves before they lose Cube’s money” (Ice pool).
When a reporter asked him “DJ’s name” because a video that went viral on social media over the weekend showed him gearing up at a family wedding, Rubio responded loudly: “You’re not ready for my DJ name.”
He was charming, self-deprecating, humorous and articulate, answering every question fluently with useful information, switching to Spanish easily when asked, and drawing laughter from the room at the occasional witty moment.
Joking about his difficulty in identifying the journalists he will come to, he said: “They gave me a small map that I don’t know where I put it, for the people here, some of you had a red X. I’m kidding…
Later, he laughed, “This is a mess, guys.”
Strait talks on Iran
He wisely set the administration’s priorities in Iran, such as America’s “charity” to the world, in eliminating the nuclear threat and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
He showed calmness and skill when he said that Operation Epic Fury is over and Operation Economic Epic Fury is causing damage to Iran.
He explained why Americans should care about opening the strait when we don’t need the oil that goes through it.
“Because ultimately these things have an impact on the international economy, which ends up having an impact on our economy over time.
“No.
“They would do to the world with a nuclear weapon what they are doing now with the straits … If they had a nuclear weapon, they would shut down the problem and tell the world, ‘What are you going to do about it? We have a nuclear weapon. We can attack you with it.’ “
The son of Cuban exiles, he clearly laid out the case against Cuba: “[Cuba’s] the economic model does not work. And the people in charge can’t fix it. And the reason I can’t fix it isn’t just because they’re communists. That’s bad enough, but they are incompetent communists. . . And we have 90 miles from our coast a failed state which is also a friendly place for some of our adversaries. So it is an unacceptable situation.”
Asked about his hopes for America, he gave a small stump speech: “It’s the same as it’s always been. I think that’s the hope we all share. We want it to continue to be a 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 race.”
Every week, Post writer Miranda Devine sits down for exclusive and candid interviews with Washington’s most influential disruptors on ‘Pod Force One.’ Register here!
Rumors swirled in ’28
Rubio’s 50 minutes on the podium was a tour de force, and of course the buzz for 2028 started immediately.
“Rubio’s Stint in the White House Briefing Room Sparks 2028 Candidate Chatter” was the headline in the Wall Street Journal.
“Marco Rubio is getting a chance to challenge the president in the White House briefing room,” The Hill said.
“Rubio on the rise? 2028 Duel with Vance heats up,” was Barron’s verdict.
“Marco Rubio is headed to the Vatican as presidential bids ramp up in 2028,” CNBC said.
It’s the same old game Democrats and their media allies have been trying for months to drive a chink between Rubio and Vance.
The president is doing bad things himself, boasting that Rubio, 54, and Vice President JD Vance, 41, are the “unstoppable” 2028 dream team ticket, often without saying who will come first.
He likes to play a game of Disciple at his dinner table when he asks guests, sometimes in front of both men – who do you like better as president: JD or Marco?
But both recognize the lure of the media in pitting them against each other.
They are true friends who share a sense of humor and a devout Catholic faith, Vance as a believer and Rubio as a Catholic kid who briefly flirted with evangelical Protestantism.
Former Marine Vance as a lone anti-war figure clashes with Rubio’s hawkish attitude. But they share more in common than it might seem, and while neither has urged Trump to attack Iran yet both have maintained a close relationship with the president throughout the conflict.
Vance told me in an interview on “Pod Force One” in October that Rubio is “his best friend in the administration.”
Friends and Vance
“I don’t want to wake up, and so far I’ve never woken up and thought, ‘How do I make myself president of the United States?’ What I wake up thinking to myself is, ‘How am I doing a good job as vice president?’
“And I think Marco Rubio is asking himself, ‘How do I do a good job as secretary of state?’ And that should be a question that each of us continues to ask ourselves,” the vice president said.
Rubio clearly challenged his friend.
“If JD Vance runs for president, he will be our nominee, and I will be one of the first people to support him,” he said recently.
There are rumors that his fourth child is on the way, Vance has been telling his confidants that he is not sure if he will run, or that 2028 will be a difficult race for Republicans, and he may wait until 2032, or he is worried about being put in the same weak role in the campaign as Kamala Harris for Joe Biden.
Some say Rubio should go first because he is 13 years old.
But the polls consistently show that if Vance wants it, and Trump endorses him, it’s over for Rubio and any other contenders like Ron DeSantis and Ted Cruz.
For Republicans, any potential future rivalry between Vance and Rubio is a good problem to have.
Unlike the sad list of 2028 hopefuls on the other hand, Republicans have an embarrassment of riches in their leadership class.
