Manu Raju is an American journalist of Indian origin and chief congressional correspondent for CNN. found himself in a tense moment with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio this week.
Raju’s straightforward questions about the Iran-US–Israel conflict sparked a heated press exchange that drew widespread attention and highlighted how journalists are probing leaders as the war escalates.
Who Is Manu Raju?
As per reports, Manu Raju is 46 years old and was born to Indian immigrant parents in Downers Grove, Illinois, and grew up with a passion for journalism. His parents immigrated from Karnataka, India, in the 1970s, and later worked at the National Institutes of Health. Raju studied business administration at the University of Wisconsin-Madison before moving into political reporting in Washington, D.C. He has worked for major outlets like Politico and now anchors CNN’s Inside Politics with Manu Raju, while also covering Congress and national politics.
Reports say that on Tuesday, March 3, Raju attended a press briefing where Secretary Rubio was addressing reporters about the ongoing conflict with Iran. The US and Israel had recently launched coordinated strikes inside Iran. Tensions were extremely high as Tehran responded with missile and drone attacks on US bases in the Middle East.
Manu Raju vs Marco Rubio
During the briefing, several reporters asked Rubio to explain why the US struck Iran when it did, especially after Iranian retaliation. Raju followed up on a comment previously made by Rubio that suggested the US was aware of an Israeli action that could lead to broader conflict. Raju said, “Mr. Secretary, I want to just clarify what you said.” trying to get more context about whether this implied Israel’s role influenced US timing.
Rubio reacted sharply, telling Raju and other reporters that “There’s nothing to clarify” and urging them to read his full statement in context. He insisted his comments were specific and that the top priority was protecting American forces. Rubio said the US had acted to ensure it would not be hit first by Iranian forces, and that President Donald Trump wanted to avoid higher casualties among US troops.
