The Morning Briefing: Marco Rubio Makes the Case for America

Happy Thursday, Morning Briefing readers! Kruiser is currently deep in Facebook Marketplace negotiations with a guy named Skeeter over a “slightly haunted” pontoon boat, so you're stuck with me today. Hopefully, he'll be back tomorrow.

In case you missed it, Secretary of State Marco Rubio filled in for Karoline Leavitt — who is currently on maternity leave — on Tuesday, and it went about as well for him as it could have gone. He was funny. He was charming. He was knowledgeable. He was authoritative. And I hate myself for saying this so prematurely, but he was... presidential.

I won't recap the entire briefing. I did that on Tuesday, and if you're interested, you can read about it here (please ignore my gushing — I was having a moment, and don't worry, I have since taken a cold shower): From Playlists to Press Briefings: Good Lord, Is There Anything This Man Can't Do?

But there is one thing I left out on purpose because I felt it deserved its own separate real estate: Rubio's case for America.

Kelly Wright, the White House correspondent for the Christian Broadcasting Network, asked the secretary a unique question: "You’ve had a deep faith for God and country... what is your hope for America at a time such as this?"

Rubio's response was so perfect that I almost wondered if he'd paid Wright to set him up. These days, we hear so many politicians who are angry, negative, cynical, and all doom and gloom about the future of this country. I'm talking about Republicans and Democrats. And it's not just politicians. I can only speak for myself and the comments and emails I receive, but I think many of us here in this PJ Media community of readers and writers get caught up in it, as well. I've mentioned this before, but I hear more positive things said about our country when I'm traveling outside of it than I do when I'm at home.

But our Secretary of State didn't do that. He was hopeful and optimistic. Here's his entire response:

My hope for America is what it’s always been. I think it’s the hope I hope we all share. We want it to continue to be the place where anyone from anywhere can achieve anything, where you’re not limited by the circumstances of your birth, by the color of your skin, by your ethnicity, but frankly, it’s a place where you are able to overcome challenges and achieve your full potential.
I think that should be the goal of every country in the world, frankly, but I think in the U.S. – we’re not perfect. Our history is not one of perfection, but it’s still better than anybody else’s history. And ours is a story of perpetual improvement. Each generation has left the next generation of Americans freer, more prosperous, safer, and that is our goal as well.
But it is a unique and exceptional country, and as we come upon this 250-year anniversary I think we have a lot to learn and be proud of in our history. It is one of perpetual and continuous improvement where each generation has done its part to bring us closer to fulfilling the vision that the founders of this country had upon its founding.

As someone on X said, put some uplifting music over that and mix it up with some images of Americana, and you've got yourself one heck of a presidential campaign video.

Speaking of... Trump's shoes won't be easy to fill, so it's going to take the strongest ticket we've got. I think I've changed my stance on what I want for 2028.

Unlike the Democrats, we're not going into 2028 somewhat blindly. We know that Rubio or Vice President JD Vance will most likely be our nominee. In the past, despite having been a Rubio fan from the day he entered the national political scene, I've been firmly Team Vance. I know a lot of you say, let's put them both on the ticket, and I've never liked that idea either. The VP job is kind of a... mindless one (I mean, if Kamala Harris can do it...), and I didn't want to waste Rubio's talent there when he's proven himself to be the best foreign policy and national security guy we could have asked for.

But the more Rubio talks like this, the less I'm against him being Vance's VP or vice versa. The two men, who are said to be good friends, complement each other in a way that would make them a force. Both are smart. Both have built historic careers out of humble beginnings. But they each bring something different.

Our current president agrees. "J.D. is fantastic, and Marco is fantastic...I would say one is slightly more diplomatic than the other," he said during an interview earlier this year. "I think there’s a difference in style. You know, you can see the style yourself. But they’re both very capable. I do think this: The combination of JD and Marco would be very hard to be beaten, I think."

Vance has a little more Trump in him, in that he's not afraid to say what's on his mind — he's best suited to drive the MAGA populist base to the polls. Rubio appeals more to traditional conservatives and independents who are looking for something a bit more polished. And I have zero doubt that having him on the ticket will lead to major gains with Hispanic voters. I see it and hear it every day from the people I interact with to cover our relationships with Latin America. The GOP needs that desperately.

As for wasting his talent, well, we all know Rubio can take on 1,000 jobs at once, so there's no reason why he can't be VP and Secretary of State and National Security Advisor and Vance's nanny and the White House chef, and whatever else he's needed for, right?

The Marco Minute

I guess I'm being a bit redundant by including "The Marco Minute" in an article that is all about Marco, but there can never be too much Marco.

Here's the video version of him answering the question that prompted all of this:

Secretary Rubio on the hope for America. 🇺🇸

"It is a unique and exceptional country. And as we come upon this 250 year anniversary, I think we have a lot to learn and be proud of in our history." MUST WATCH ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/1Jjk0BNYVK
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 6, 2026

And, in case you missed it (which would be hard given how many times I've written about it this week), here's the other side of our dear Secretary of State DJing at a wedding last weekend:

MOMENTS AGO, BEHIND THE SCENES—Our Great Secretary of State @MarcoRubio DJ’s weddings too! Here he is in action tonight at a family wedding…

Let’s goooooo!!!🎶🎼🎵 pic.twitter.com/P8o79iwmZG
— Dan Scavino Jr.🇺🇸🦅 (@DanScavino) May 3, 2026

Kruiser has yet to commit to making "The Marco Minute" a permanent fixture here at the Morning Briefing, but we can't give up the fight. Email him at [email protected] to let him know it's what the people want. And if it's not what you want, fine, but you should at least send him your contributions to the Mailbag of Magnificence.

Click the button below to get the Morning Briefing emailed to you every weekday. Have your coffee with Kruiser and me, people. It's free and it supports conservative media!

Everything Isn't Awful

It’s unhealthy how many times I’ve watched this 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/dHf8Dw6EZp
— Puppies 🐶 (@Puppieslover) May 3, 2026

The Kruiser Kabana

Kabana Gallery

I could live here.

Emile Claus - "Villa, Sunshine" (1924) pic.twitter.com/ntTeWwOefe
— Museum (@DailyClassicArt) April 27, 2026

Kabana Comedy

I miss TV shows like these. (And obligatory disclaimer: some people might find this offensive, though I'd argue those people have no sense of humor.)

Kabana Tunes

As some of you know, I'm a huge Tom Petty fan. This cover of his "Wildflowers" by The Wailin' Jennys is one of my favorites.

And a bonus tune because I have been playing the heck out of this one lately for some reason: "Ventura Highway" by America.

POTUS Press Today

DAILY GUIDANCE AND PRESS SCHEDULE FOR
THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2026

In-Town Pool
TV Corr & Crew: ABC
Secondary TV Corr: CNBC
Photos: AP, AFP, NYT, Reuters, Getty
Print: The Hill
Secondary Print: Reuters
Radio: ABC
New Media: Reason Magazine

EDT:
9:00 AM In-Town Pool Call Time

8:00 AM THE PRESIDENT participates in Executive Time
The White House
Closed Press

11:00 AM THE PRESIDENT participates in a Greeting with the President of the Federative Republic of Brazil
The White House
Closed Press

11:15 AM THE PRESIDENT participates in a Bilateral Meeting
Oval Office
White House Press Pool

11:45 AM THE PRESIDENT participates in a Bilateral Lunch
Cabinet Room
Closed Press

3:00 PM THE PRESIDENT participates in a Policy Meeting
Oval Office
Closed Press

4:00 PM THE PRESIDENT signs Executive Orders
Oval Office
Closed Press

5:00 PM THE PRESIDENT participates in a Policy Meeting
Oval Office
Closed Press

6:00 PM THE PRESIDENT participates in a Policy Meeting
Oval Office
Closed Press

###

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