In Washington, Rubio breezily fielded questions from the White House press corps, borrowing liberally from 1990s hip-hop to characterize Iran’s negotiating position.
“They're insane in the brain,” Rubio said, echoing Cypress Hill.
Meanwhile, in the country’s heartland, Vance gladhanded campaign donors and drew on folksy lessons from “Mamaw” and “Papaw” – his grandparents – in a stump speech for an Iowa congressman at risk of losing his seat in November’s midterm elections.
These are the two men Trump believes could be his successors as president after 2028. “If they ever formed a group, it’d be unstoppable,” Trump told me last year.
This week's split screen offered both a rare opportunity to step out from Trump’s vast shadow. Just 35% of Americans say they have a favorable view of Vance and 33% say the same of Rubio, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted April 24-27.
On Tuesday, Rubio got the higher-profile assignment, defending the Iran war before the press. Standing in for press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is out on maternity leave, Rubio also previewed his meeting on Thursday with Pope Leo, who has been at odds with Trump. He capably navigated the chaotic, standing-room-only White House briefing room and peppered his presentation with Italian and Spanish.
“You can ask me two questions, I’ll give you one answer, and I’ll pick the one I like better,” he joked with a reporter.
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