Marco Rubio Serves as Acting Press Secretary at White House Briefing

Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered remarks at a White House briefing on May 5, 2026, while standing in for press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is on maternity leave. ” Rubio replied that his hope for America is what it has always been.

I think it’s the hope I hope we all share. We want it to continue to be the place where anyone from anywhere can achieve anything, where you’re not limited by the circumstances of your birth, by the color of your skin, by your ethnicity, but frankly, it’s a place where you are able to overcome challenges and achieve your full potential,” Rubio said. U.S.

Remains distinct despite its imperfections. U.S. – we’re not perfect. Our history is not one of perfection, but it’s still better than anybody else’s history.

And ours is a story of perpetual improvement. Each generation has left the next generation of Americans freer, more prosperous, safer, and that is our goal as well,” Rubio stated. The devout Catholic secretary continued by noting the country’s approaching 250-year anniversary.

“But it is a unique and exceptional country and, as we come upon this 250-year anniversary, I think we have a lot to learn and be proud of in our history. It is one of perpetual and continuous improvement, where each generation has done its part to bring us closer to fulfilling the vision that the founders of this country had upon its founding,” Rubio stated.

A 53-second clip of those remarks grabbed over 6 million views on X. Rubio's team released a minute-long vertical video on his X account featuring images of Rubio, President Donald Trump, jets flying over the White House, Americans of different races, former President Ronald Reagan, and the Stars and Stripes being hoisted against a blue sky.

The campaign-style video posted to @SecRubio on X carries tweet ID 2052068482770993406 and was viewed over 3 million times. Laura Loomer retweeted the video and stated, “Wow!