Press Conference Scheduled Amidst Press Secretary’s Leave

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to hold a press conference at the White House on Tuesday. This comes as press secretary Caroline Levitt takes maternity leave.

Levitt, who is expecting her second child, had initially postponed her leave to address the media following the recent shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 25. This marks a disruption in her plans, as she returned to work just days after her first child was born on July 10, 2024, shortly after an assassination attempt on President Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.

So far, no interim replacement has been named for Levitt. She mentioned earlier that Rubio will collaborate with the existing team during her absence.

Rubio’s address is expected at 3 p.m. ET, focusing on recent developments in the Strait of Hormuz related to Project Freedom, an initiative aimed at ensuring safe passage for commercial vessels.

Earlier, Army Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Kaine held a joint news conference, offering updates on the mission, which President Trump described as a “humanitarian gesture” intended to aid nations not actively involved in the conflict.

Humor surrounding Rubio has circulated online, with various jokes and AI-generated images showing him in an array of roles, even as a foreign leader. Recently, a video leaked of him DJing at a wedding, adding to the ongoing light-hearted ribbing.