Secretary of State Marco Rubio will take the podium at the White House briefing Tuesday, becoming the first administration official to fill in for press secretary Karoline Leavitt as she begins maternity leave. The appearance comes as the U.S. and Iran exchanged fire on Monday, keeping the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz at the forefront of Washington's agenda.
Rubio's debut as briefing stand-in follows a Monday clash between U.S. and Iranian forces, part of the Trump administration's "Project Freedom" effort to escort commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has repeatedly shut the waterway during the ongoing war. Despite the exchange, U.S. officials insisted Tuesday that the ceasefire between the sides remains intact.
"This is separate and distinct from Operation Epic Fury," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said at a press conference Tuesday. "We expected there would be some churn at the beginning, which happened," he added, when asked about the exchange of fire.
Rubio's briefing appearance precedes a trip to Rome and Vatican City later this week, where he is set to meet Pope Leo XIV. The pope, the first American pontiff, has publicly criticized the Iran war. Rubio, one of the administration's prominent Catholics, will discuss U.S. policies, including the conflict in the Middle East.
"Secretary Rubio will meet with Holy See leadership to discuss the situation in the Middle East and mutual interests in the Western Hemisphere," the State Department said in a statement. "Meetings with Italian counterparts will be focused on shared security interests and strategic alignment."
The Vatican visit comes after President Trump criticized Pope Leo for his anti-war comments and shared an AI-generated image of himself resembling Jesus, both of which angered Catholic voters. The trip is seen as an effort to mend ties, as Rubio heads to Vatican to mend ties after Trump-Pope spat.
Leavitt began her maternity leave at the end of April ahead of the birth of her second child. The White House has not named a permanent replacement; instead, a rotating cast of administration officials will take the podium. President Trump and Vice President Vance are reportedly among those who could fill in.
Rubio and Vance are widely viewed as the top contenders to succeed Trump as the GOP standard-bearer in 2028. Vance, however, will not be the first guest star in the briefing room because he is traveling to Des Moines, Iowa, to help Rep. Zach Nunn (R) shore up support for reelection.
Rubio's briefing will likely cover the Iran conflict, the Strait of Hormuz situation, and his upcoming Vatican talks. Rubio has previously dismissed Iran's Strait of Hormuz proposal without nuclear concessions, signaling a hard line on the issue.
