State Department Spox Tammy Bruce Issues Fiery Defense Of Expulsion Of South Africa's Ambassador

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At her press briefing, State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce discussed the expulsion of South Africa's Ambassador.

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Transcript

00:00Thanks.

00:01Can I go back to South Africa, the ambassador?

00:03Sure.

00:04The Secretary, of course, had his tweet – had his ex posted on Friday.

00:07Could you explain a little bit the reasons?

00:09It's quite an extraordinary step.

00:10I was looking back.

00:11I mean, if I'm not mistaken, even in the height of tensions with Russia, there was

00:14no expulsion of the ambassador and no PNG there.

00:18What is it?

00:19I mean, essentially, this is remarks that the ambassador made at a think tank or at

00:22a conference that were critical.

00:23That's correct.

00:24What I'm getting at is should other ambassadors be on alert?

00:28Can they not criticize President Trump without fear of being expelled?

00:32Well, I think it's not about criticism.

00:36This was the equation of the president and the country with white supremacy.

00:43It was an allegation that casts such an awful light on the nature of the country, on individuals.

00:51It is – I mean, if we don't have a standard about the nature of someone who is in this

00:56country who is supposed to be a diplomat to help facilitate the relationship between

01:01two countries, and that this is the standard of it, we deserve better.

01:07We want – we've had a decent level of diplomacy with South Africa.

01:14There are some challenges.

01:15But you want people in each embassy who can actually facilitate a relationship.

01:21And these remarks were unacceptable to the United States, not just to the president,

01:26but to every American.

01:27It was – they were pretty much obscene when it came to the nature of what was alleged.

01:33And so that is, I think, at the very least what we should expect, is a standard of some

01:41respect, basic, low-level respect, if you're in a position that is going to help facilitate

01:48any kind of diplomatic relationship with another country.

01:54This particular individual certainly didn't meet that standard, and it is a message to

02:00people of what America expects, what the president expects, what the Secretary of State expects,

02:05what this whole administration expects when it comes to treatment of the nation itself

02:09and as a result of the people in this country.

02:12And so that's why it was done.

02:13QUESTION.

02:14Sure.

02:15Can I just expand on that?

02:16South Africa today said that it wants to have a better relationship with the United States.

02:20Are you open to that?

02:21I mean, there's been other – the Secretary of State aware from the G20.

02:24What are you of the view that South Africa can report the relationship despite the criticism

02:27that's come from this building already?

02:29Well, they – I think the – both the president and the Secretary of State have made it clear

02:34what the problems are and what they have an issue with when it comes to South Africa.

02:40The unjust land expropriation law, as well as its growing relationship with countries

02:46like Russia and Iran, it is a prompted – that's what prompted the serious review of our South

02:52Africa policy, which continues to be underway.

02:55They have taken also the South African Government aggressive positions toward the United States

03:00and its allies, including accusing Israel, not Hamas, of genocide in the International

03:06Court of Justice, and reinvigorating its relationship with Iran to develop commercial, military,

03:11and nuclear arrangements.

03:12So this isn't one just of demeanor or decorum, however they add into it.

03:18This is a matter of a nation that is – we've, again, made it very clear – taking steps

03:23that are not in the interest – the best interest of providing a safe, secure, more

03:30prosperous America, let alone world, when it comes to the decisions they're making.

03:34So all of this is under review, and – but obviously, part of it is, within the diplomacy

03:40of it, is to encourage a change in policy and posture.

03:45Of course that would be the point.

03:46The point is to encourage a change.

03:50What I've seen with the trips with – we've made with the diplomatic adventures, of course,

03:56as well as the G7 Summit in Canada, is the nature of the Secretary of State is to make

04:03things better for people.

04:05It is not to punish or to target people or countries.

04:11It's a nature of changing policy and creating better environments for all of us.

04:16And I've seen that in motion in every dynamic, and that's the case here with South Africa as well.

State Department Spox Tammy Bruce Issues Fiery Defense Of Expulsion Of South Africa's Ambassador

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