Rubio draws attention with courteous year-end news conference

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, drew attention on Dec. 19 by holding a year-end news conference that lasted nearly two hours and was open to both domestic and foreign reporters. Observers noted that his careful listening to pointed questions and his readiness to engage at length on a wide range of topics, while moving smoothly between Spanish and English, stood in sharp contrast to President Donald Trump, who has frequently displayed hostility toward mainstream media, as well as to other senior officials in the second Trump administration.

Over the course of the session, Rubio fielded questions from 46 reporters during the roughly two-hour event. Several journalists posed their questions in Spanish, prompting Rubio to respond first in Spanish before repeating his answers in English. The approach was widely seen as a deliberate gesture of courtesy and inclusiveness toward the press corps.

Asked about reports of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s year-end news conference held the same day, Rubio joked that Putin was trying to cover up my message. He also extended Christmas greetings to Putin and to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, adding a light note to the exchange.

Throughout the event, Rubio refrained from labeling any reporter or news organization as “biased” or from accusing them of spreading “fake news,” regardless of the nature of the questions. This approach stood in contrast to U.S. President Donald Trump’s frequent practice of attacking journalists and their outlets as purveyors of false information when confronted with uncomfortable inquiries. The New York Times said Rubio’s wide-ranging remarks, which touched on issues from Gaza to Japan and Pakistan, were notable for their civility, a quality it described as rare within an administration that regularly criticizes and disparages the press.

However, Rubio declined to address especially sensitive questions, including whether President Trump would meet with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and whether the United States would recognize as Russian territory areas occupied by Russia following the war in Ukraine.

Rubio entered the Senate in 2010 and served mainly on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Once regarded as a Republican critic of Trump, he ultimately backed the president in last year’s election. Along with Vice President J.D. Vance, Rubio is widely viewed as a potential Republican contender in the 2028 presidential race.


김윤진 기자 kyj@donga.com