Fact Check: Is Marco Rubio the next White House press secretary after Karoline Leavitt leaves?

WASHINGTON, DC: Following White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt‘s announcement that she plans to step down at the end of August 2026, social media has been flooded with memes and rumors suggesting that Secretary of State Marco Rubio is slated to take over the position.

Old video footage showing Rubio stepping in to lead White House press briefings during Leavitt’s maternity leave has also re-emerged across various platforms.

While these online posts have sparked widespread speculation about Rubio transitioning into the press secretary role, no official successor has been named by the administration. Is there any truth to the rumors linking Marco Rubio to Karoline Leavitt’s upcoming vacancy?

Claim: Marco Rubio is taking over as White House Press Secretary

When Karoline Leavitt announced on Wednesday, August 12, that she would be leaving her post, the news caught many by surprise and immediately triggered speculation regarding who would step up to the podium next.

A wave of memes and posts quickly spread across X, alleging that Secretary of State Marco Rubio was lined up as the next press secretary, often accompanied by throwback clips from his temporary stint at the podium earlier in the year.

Highlighting his previous stint, one user posted, “Marco Rubio proved that he’d be a GREAT White House Press Secretary! Remember when he filled in for Karoline Leavitt during her maternity leave?” while also joking about his demanding international schedule.

The resurfaced clips show Rubio handling reporters in a casual, engaging manner—cracking jokes, pointing out journalists, and fielding questions with ease.

Other accounts went further, treating the transition as a done deal. Statements like “I hear Marco Rubio is the new press secretary” and “Rubio named new White House Press Secretary” began circulating widely.

Meanwhile, a separate rumor even claimed that “Trump just announced that Marcela Rubio will be the new White House Press Secretary.”

Fact Check: False, Marco Rubio is not succeeding Karoline Leavitt

The rumors are entirely unfounded. Marco Rubio remains in his position as the US Secretary of State, and President Donald Trump has yet to name an official replacement for Leavitt.

The speculation stems entirely from Rubio’s brief, lighthearted turn at the White House podium earlier in 2026 while covering for Leavitt during her maternity leave—an arrangement that also saw other high-ranking officials, such as Vice President JD Vance and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, temporarily step in.

Having long since returned to his foreign policy portfolio, Rubio has no plans to move to the press office.

As for Leavitt, she is set to depart at the end of August 2026 to focus on her family. Explaining her departure on X, she wrote, “Being a mother and welcoming a new baby while working in one of the most demanding jobs in the world has been the most rewarding yet challenging season of my life, to say the least.”

She added, “The truth is since returning to the White House after the birth of my daughter, I have felt in my heart that I cannot be the best mom my two young children deserve while devoting the constant time, energy, and attention required of the White House Press Secretary – and that is why I have ultimately made the bittersweet decision to depart the White House and embark on a new chapter in my life.”