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Secretary of State Marco Rubio previewed a high-profile trip to Rome from the White House briefing room Tuesday, delivering sharp warnings to Iran and flashing easy command of the podium that drew praise from conservative allies online.
“The trip is really not tied to anything other than the fact that it would be normal for us to engage, and other secretaries of State have done that in the past,” Rubio said at the White House press conference on Tuesday of his trip to Italy.
The briefing came two days before Rubio is set to visit the Vatican and Italy for meetings amid heightened tensions between President Donald Trump, Pope Leo and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni over the U.S.-Iran conflict. Rubio used the briefing to defend the administration’s posture toward Tehran, downplay the timing of the Italy visit and signal that Washington is not backing off its pressure campaign.
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio walks out to speak to reporters at the James Brady Press Briefing Room in the White House in Washington on May 5, 2026. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)
“The message to Iran … these guys are facing real catastrophic destruction to their economy, generational destruction to their economy, generational destruction to the wealth of their country imposed on themselves by the actions that they’re taking,” said Rubio of Iran on Tuesday.
“They should check themselves before they wreck themselves in the direction that they’re going,” Rubio quipped, referencing Ice Cube’s rap song, “Check Yo Self.”
Rubio, a Catholic, is expected to meet with Pope Leo on Thursday morning, at a time when the pontiff has criticized the Trump administration’s Middle East peacemaking efforts.
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“There has also been this threat against the entire people of Iran, and this is truly unacceptable,” the pope said in April. “There are certainly issues of international law here, but even more so a moral issue for the good of the whole entire population.”
Rubio emphasized that the move to give military support to ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz near Iran is a “defensive operation,” saying the US will only fire if fired upon. (Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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The comments were seemingly in reference to one of Trump’s Truth Social posts, where he wrote, “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will… God Bless the Great People of Iran!”
Trump told reporters on Wednesday in the Oval Office he only has one message for the Pope.
“I can tell you this, that as far as the Pope is concerned, and it’s very simple. Whether I make him happy or I don’t make him happy, Iran can not have a nuclear weapon. And he seemed to be saying that they can. And I say they cannot, because if that happened, the entire world would be hostage. And we’re not going to let that happen,” he said.
The Vatican announced it will not participate in President Trump’s Gaza recovery board. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
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Rubio will also meet with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has been distancing herself from the U.S. amid mounting domestic and political pressure over the widening Middle East conflict.
The meeting comes as President Donald Trump intensifies pressure on NATO allies to align with the U.S. against Iran, including ordering the withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany — a drawdown expected to unfold over the next six to 12 months.
Rubio will travel to Italy on Wednesday for meetings with Pope Leo and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. (Maria Grazia Picciarella/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Meloni said Tuesday she would not support any effort to reduce the U.S. military presence in Italy, drawing a contrast with Trump’s broader push to reposition American forces in Europe.
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Italy remains a key U.S. security hub in Europe, hosting nearly 13,000 active-duty American troops across six bases as of the end of 2025.
Rubio heads to his high-profile meetings fresh off of social media commenters and conservative leaders applauding how well he stepped in for Karoline Leavitt behind the podium after she took maternity leave late last month. The secretary joked with reporters, fielded questions in multiple languages and delivered pointed warnings to Iran, giving supporters a glimpse of the presence he will likely carry into the Rome trip.
“Marco Rubio is showing the nation & the world what we’ve known about him for decades,” said Republican Florida Rep. Carlos Gimenez on X. “Rubio is one of the most eloquent, articulate, & incredibly capable statesmen of our times.”
“President Trump made an EXCELLENT choice in him. He proves it every single day,” he added.
