Rubio snaps at reporter over 'stupid' question on Iran ceasefire: 'What were we supposed to do?'

WASHINGTON, DC: In a textbook case of “like boss, like employee,” Marco Rubio snapped at a reporter over what he called a “stupid” question about the status of the Iran ceasefire after fresh clashes erupted in the Strait of Hormuz.

The question stemmed from Iran’s large-scale missile and drone attack on US naval destroyers near the Strait of Hormuz, which left the ceasefire hanging by a thread.

Iran's top military command alleged that the attack came after the US targeted an Iranian oil tanker and another vessel approaching the Strait of Hormuz and carried out "aerial attacks" on several coastal areas.

However, despite the exchange of fire, President Donald Trump maintained that the ceasefire is still in place.

Marco Rubio clashes with reporter over Iran ceasefire

The Secretary of State was addressing reporters in Rome when he was asked whether the ceasefire with Iran still existed in the wake of the US military and Iran exchanging fire in the Strait of Hormuz.

"What you saw yesterday was US destroyers moving through international waters being fired upon by the Iranians, and the US responded defensively to protect themselves. That’s what you saw. I mean, that’s separate and distinct from Operation Epic Fury," Rubio responded.

The incident escalated when reporters repeatedly questioned Rubio over whether the ceasefire could truly be considered active while military strikes continued between both sides.

At that moment, Rubio maintained that the US responded in retaliation to Iran’s attack. “If you fire a drone or a missile at our destroyer, what are we supposed to do, let it hit? We have to respond to it,” he said.

After a reporter remarked that “there’s not much ceasing in the firing,” Rubio pushed back, saying the question should be directed at Iran and insisting that “we didn’t fire; they fired on us.”

Rubio directly attacked the premise of the question itself. “That’s a stupid question. That’s a stupid position to take.”

He went on to defend the administration’s actions, arguing that “only stupid countries don’t shoot back when you’re shot at,” before adding that the United States is “not a stupid country.”

Trump blasts ABC reporter over ‘stupid’ Iran question

In an eerily similar incident, Donald Trump blasted a reporter’s question about the projects he had been working on amid the war in Iran, calling it "stupid."

"Mr President, you are here against the backdrop of a war in Iran. Why focus on all these projects right now?" ABC's Rachel Scott asked.

"Because I want to keep our country beautiful and safe," Trump said. "This place was disgusting. It's an ugly place. Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, and we had a terrible, you probably don't see dirt, but I do. If you walk down this pond.”

“It's such a stupid question that you ask,” he said before adding that, "She's with ABC fake news. She's a horror show. And she says, 'Why would you bother fixing this up?' Why would I bother taking 11 or 12 truckloads of filth out of the water in front of the Lincoln Monument? That's what made our country great, beauty. Made our country, people. A question like that is a disgrace to our country."