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Live updates: Rubio faces ‘chaos’ of White House briefing room, warns Iran’s ‘insane in the brain’ leaders

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by The Hill Staff - 05/05/26 4:02 PM ET

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by The Hill Staff - 05/05/26 4:02 PM ET

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday afternoon that the Iranian regime’s “insane in the brain” leaders should not test President Trump as tensions rise in the Strait of Hormuz.

Rubio, the first person to stand in for White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt as she begins her maternity leave, warned Iran not to “test the will of the United States.” He also described the War Powers Act as “100 percent unconstitutional,” echoing recent comments by the president.

Earlier Tuesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters that the U.S.-Iran ceasefire is holding, even as both sides have fired at one another in the last day.

Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine at a press briefing detailed “Project Freedom,” aimed at allowing some commerce to transit through the Strait of Hormuz.

“This is separate and distinct from Operation Epic Fury,” he said, describing it as “focused in scope and temporary in duration.”

There was no specific person selected to take over Leavitt’s role while she is gone, but there will instead be a rotating cast of administration officials, which could also reportedly include President Trump and Vice President Vance.

Rubio and Vance are widely considered the most likely candidates to succeed Trump as the GOP standard-bearer in a presidential race in 2028. Vance could not be the first briefing room guest star because he is traveling to Des Moines, Iowa, to help Rep. Zach Nunn (R) shore up support to get reelected.

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Trump on Tuesday signed a proclamation related to the Presidential Fitness Test. He was also scheduled to film an interview, attend a policy meeting and a Rose Garden Club dinner.

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