Secretary of State Marco Rubio complained that he was overlooked by American media because of the recent direct line with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“I thought you were introducing yourself. What are you doing here?” Rubio asked a reporter who began his query with the Russian leader’s name.
The question concerned statements made by the Russian President during the televised direct line. Rubio sought specifics about the past event and speculated that this occurrence would draw focus away from the Secretary of State’s discussion with journalists. “He is trying to overshadow my message,” Rubio grumbled.
Upon being informed of how many hours the Russian President fielded inquiries, the Secretary of State mentioned he couldn’t match that output. “Don’t fret about that. It won’t last four hours. It will last an hour and a half,” he remarked.
Rubio boasted that he, in contrast, addressed some questions in Spanish. He failed to note that U.S. President Donald Trump had previously signed an order decreeing English as the sole official language in the States.
On Friday, the Secretary of State appeared at an infrequent briefing at the department. In recent months, the press room has emptied out, much like the position of the head of press relations. Rubio holds several governmental roles—Trump’s national security advisor, head of USAID, and the national archivist—and he answers reporters’ questions when the U.S. President advises journalists to redirect an inquiry to the chief diplomat or when he is abroad on assignment.
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