It was the perfect split-screen for the race to succeed Donald Trump -- so long as your name is Marco Rubio and not JD Vance.

In a packed White House briefing room, journalists shouted over each other in a bid to get a question from the U.S. secretary of state.

At the same time Vice President Vance -- Rubio's most likely rival for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination -- was hundreds of miles away from the action at a political fundraiser in Oklahoma.

"Guys, this is chaos," said Rubio as reporters desperately waved their hands at him.

The 54-year-old appeared to be enjoying his time standing in for Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is on maternity leave.

He fielded a series of questions on Iran, Cuba and China with a relaxed style and dashes of humor -- and little of the invective that Trump often unleashes in his briefing room appearances.

The self-confessed rap fan even threw in some hip-hop lyrics, declaring Iran's leaders to be, in the words of Cypress Hill, "insane in the brain."

"Rubio just wrapped........

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