Marco Rubio Replaces Karoline Leavitt as Secretary of State, Targets Iran Criticism

Marco Rubio, 54, appeared Tuesday in an “archi-comble” press room as U.S. secretary of state, replacing for a day the executive’s spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt, who was on maternity leave. In questions about Iran and a Vatican visit, Rubio also tried to “casser son image” after a video circulated showing him “aux platines pendant une fête privée.” He said he wanted America to remain a place where “quiconque, peu importe d’où il vient, peut réussir,” and he added that people are not limited “ni par la naissance, ni par la couleur de sa peau, ni par son ethnicité.” JD Vance, 41, meanwhile tried to blunt criticism tied to two diplomatic missions in mid-April, including talks with Iran that “n’ont produit aucun résultat,” while he campaigned in Ohio and then in Iowa.

“While the world’s attention centers on President Donald Trump’s decisions, a silent, more complex battle is unfolding behind the walls of the West Wing at the White House, one that does not aim at the present but outlines the contours of the man’s succession in 2028”

Al-Jazeera Net

JD Vance told Fox News that “the press is trying to create this conflict” with Marco Rubio, asserting there is “no conflict” between them and adding, “We will continue to work together.” The Le Figaro account of the same rivalry frames it as a contest over succession, with Vance leading on the right at 42% in the Harvard Harris Poll and Rubio at 17%, while Don Jr. appears at 18%. Le Parisien reports that the poll also puts Kamala Harris at 41% on the left, with Gavin Newsom at 26%, Josh Shapiro at 10%, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at 8%. Le Figaro also says Rubio would “step aside behind JD Vance this time,” and it notes that Karoline Leavitt announced that during her maternity leave, “including JD Vance and Marco Rubio” would replace her at the White House podium for accredited press briefings.

As the 2028 presidential election campaign is already being tested by pollsters, Le Parisien says the Harvard Harris Poll is conducted monthly through a partnership between Harvard University and the private Harris Poll, with a sample of 2,000 people polled. It also reports that Donald Trump acknowledges the Constitution does not authorize him to run a third time in 2028, while still addressing the matter publicly “from time to time.” Al-Jazeera Net describes the contest as a “silent” battle behind the walls of the West Wing, framing Rubio’s moves as imposing “a new political reality” on Vance’s succession path. In that same account, Rubio is said to have answered questions about “l’escalating confrontation in the Strait of Hormuz” and “rising gas prices,” and it says the White House official account on X responded by posting his photo and asking if there was an extra job.

“We are not even halfway through Donald Trump’s term yet, but pollsters have already launched the campaign for the 2028 presidential election in the United States”

Le Parisien