Cuba, China, and the pope: Key takeaways from Marco Rubio’s raucous White House press conference

Published May 5, 2026 6:25pm ET | Updated May 5, 2026 6:25pm ET



Secretary of State Marco Rubio filled in for White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday, fielding foreign policy questions ranging from Cuba and Iran to the Vatican and more.

The press conference, which lasted approximately an hour, gave the state secretary a chance to speak at length about issues that have fallen away from the international spotlight.

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