“What to get someone who has everything, I thought,” said Secretary of State Marco Rubio yesterday, as he handed Pope Leo a funny little crystal-football present. “Wow, OK,” replied Leo, stiffly.

It was a useful reminder that Rubio is not always a smooth operator. For all the articles suggesting he has now overtaken Vice President J.D. Vance as favorite to be the 2028 Republican nominee, for all the media gushing over the “Secretary of Everything” in the White House briefing room, Lil’ Marco can still be something of a robotic plonker on the big stage.

Lil’ Marco can still be something of a robotic plonker on the big stage

Lil’ Marco can still be something of a robotic plonker on the big stage

It was Rubio, after all, who was the first cabinet official to suggest in public that Israel had strong-armed America into attacking Iran.

Rubio and Vance are currently friendly rivals – or “frivals,” if you want. There’s little doubt that, in their own ways, the VP and Secretary of State are dancing around each other’s ambitions to be president. And Donald Trump, who loves........

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