On Friday, State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce held a press briefing.
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NewsTranscript
00:00All right. Thank you, everybody. Lights seem a little brighter today. I don't know if that's
00:09good or bad. All right. Yeah, these lights are really bright. Is that a different setting
00:17or? It might be my mood. All right, everybody. Thank you. Welcome aboard. I've got a bit
00:22of announcement for you here before we start our questions. Thank you again for coming.
00:27I'm Tammy Bruce, obviously the spokesperson for the State Department. Thank you very much
00:31for being here. As Secretary Rubio said, George Glessman is free. George was wrongfully detained
00:39in Afghanistan for two and a half years. He arrived at Joint Base Andrews earlier today
00:45where he was greeted by his wife and a small welcoming party. Ryan Corbett, who had been
00:50held in the same cell as George in Afghanistan, was there with his wife, Anna. After a brief
00:55ceremony, George and Alexandra flew to another location in the United States to rest and
01:01recover. We are grateful for the government of Qatar's support in bringing George home.
01:07The United Arab Emirates also played a role in facilitating the initial discussions. We
01:14remain deeply concerned about the well-being of Mahmoud Habibi and other Americans still
01:19detained in Afghanistan. The safety and security of Americans abroad remains a highest priority
01:26of this State Department, and we are working tirelessly to bring Americans home. In addition,
01:32for the first time, the United States is sanctioning a so-called teapot refinery in China for purchasing
01:38millions of barrels of oil worth approximately half a billion dollars. We are also sanctioning
01:44several additional entities and vessels in Iran's Shadow Fleet for shipping millions
01:50of barrels of Iranian oil to China. Iran's behavior across the globe threatens U.S. national
01:55security interests. President Trump has reimposed a maximum pressure campaign designed to end
02:01Iran's nuclear threat, curtail its ballistic missile program, and stop it from supporting
02:06terrorist groups. The maximum pressure campaign is designed to drive Iran's oil exports, which
02:13it uses to fund its destabilizing activities, to zero. This includes oil exports to China.
02:21Now also, we know that President Trump has never forgotten or stopped fighting for justice
02:28after Sarah Root was tragically murdered in 2018 by an illegal alien who was driving under
02:35the influence and became a fugitive from justice. Today, nine years after Sarah's passing, the
02:41night of her college graduation, her parents will know that their tireless advocacy was
02:47not in vain. Justice and accountability under the Trump administration, prevailed as the
02:53culprit of Sarah's death, has been extradited from Honduras to the United States so he can
02:59face justice once and for all. I want to express, this is the Secretary's statement, he wants
03:06to express his gratitude to the Honduran government for their cooperation in this extradition.
03:12So that is a statement that's been on the record from the Secretary of State Marco Rubio
03:16about this excellent turn of events regarding Sarah and the justice now that her parents
03:23and her family will be able to enjoy, and I would like to open it up for questions,
03:28thinking you might have some. Yes, sir. Oh, Matt, I wanted to just make sure he was watching
03:35and listening, Matt Lee. I was actually going to say that I don't really have anything to
03:40start off with. I psychically could tell because the page in front of you, sir, is blank. So
03:46let's do something different. We'll come back to Matt so he can recover. Yes, sir. And let's
03:52also do for people who are watching at home, obviously my fourth briefing, at some point
03:58I won't keep numbering them, but a lot of new people keep watching every time and it's
04:02the American people wanting to get a sense of what is on your minds, what we're doing,
04:08and I look forward to doing that. So let's go. Two questions for you. First off, hope
04:13you're doing well. Thank you. Yesterday, the interesting combination of Elizabeth Warren
04:17and Joe Wilson sent a letter to Secretaries Rubio and Besson inquiring about the possible
04:22unwinding of broad sanctions on Syria, including investment sanctions, which leads to the question,
04:28where does the State Department stand right now on Syria? Is it more the European flavor
04:33of kind of opening up the arms a little bit? Is it Israel's view of staying away? It's
04:38too dangerous right now. If you can give an overview, it'd be great. I can give you a
04:42little bit, certainly. I don't know if a full overview or not. But we are monitoring the
04:47Syrian interim authorities' actions in general across a number of issues as we determine
04:53and think about the future U.S. policy for Syria. We also continue to call for an inclusive
04:59civilian-led government that can ensure national institutions are effective, responsive, and
05:04representative. Local ownership and broad societal support is necessary for stability
05:10in Syria and the region, as recent deadly violence on the coast demonstrated. Long-term
05:16stability and prosperity for the people of Syria requires a government that protects
05:21all Syrians equally. Ultimately, the United States wants a Syria that lives in peace with
05:26its neighbors, respects human rights, and prohibits terrorists from using its territory
05:32as a safe haven. Clear designs there, clear parameters, easy to understand, and we're
05:39watching to see how they behave and how they react.
05:42QUESTION. Second question for you.
05:44MS. NULAND. Yeah.
05:45QUESTION. U.S.-South Africa relations obviously not good right now after declaring the Ambassador
05:49to the United States, Ambassador Kassana Nangrata. A new issue arising now, the South African
05:52presidency putting pressure on the Johannesburg City Council not to move forward with an effort
05:58to rename the street upon which the U.S. consulate resides in honor of a Palestinian hijacker.
06:04That move by the South African presidency, is that as a result of direct pressure from
06:08the State Department, or is that being done on their own volition to try to mend fences?
06:12MS. NULAND. Well, we have seen the reporting on the issue, and we don't comment on internal
06:18deliberations between really any city and its government, certainly the city of Johannesburg
06:23and the government in this case of South Africa. And perhaps South Africa would refer you to
06:28Johannesburg or South Africa for more details. But that's what I have for you.
06:33All right.
06:34QUESTION. State – did State get involved in any manner on this?
06:36MS. NULAND. That's what I have for you.
06:37QUESTION. Okay. Thank you.
06:37MS. NULAND. All right. Matt Lee, who's still – he's scrolling. He's scrolling.
06:40QUESTION. I'm trying to find something, and I can't find it.
06:43MS. NULAND. Well, welcome to my world. Yes, Nadia.
06:45QUESTION. Thank you, Tammy. Two questions. On Sudan, first, the army has took over the
06:52presidential palace. Do you see a change on the ground, and what is the U.S. position
06:57regarding this development? And second, on Gaza, the Israelis are declaring that they
07:03want to annex Gaza, or parts of Gaza at least. Is there any new initiative to bring them
07:07back to the negotiation table for the ceasefire?
07:09MS. NULAND. Well, first, on your first question, the SAF, the Sudanese Armed Forces, they have
07:14retaken the presidential palace in Khartoum. The ongoing fighting in Khartoum further underscores
07:19the devastating consequences of the conflict for the people of Sudan, and we continue to
07:24urge the warring parties to cease hostilities to – and facilitate the safe, unhindered
07:29movement of lifesaving humanitarian assistance. So we're watching that. I think the world
07:35should be. Much of it is watching that situation, and that seems to be an important event. But
07:42we're watching and we're aware of it. As far as Gaza, look, we're still dealing
07:47with the efforts to have a ceasefire, which we had and was courtesy of Hamas, broken because
07:54of their lack of action on the parameters of the ceasefire itself. We, of course, stand
08:01by our ally Israel, as I mentioned, every day, happily so. And so I certainly won't
08:07comment on – or speculate on other hypotheses of what people think is going or not going
08:13to happen. I think the main goal is – right? – humanitarian supplies, the nature of the
08:18violence stopping. That is the sole focus of the nature of where we're at at this
08:22point. I'm going to – well, I don't know – is – I don't know.
08:25Can I follow up on this?
08:26Follow up on this.
08:27I'll get back to you, Said. Let's keep going here.
08:28All right. Well, I just want to – so today was supposed to be –
08:29This is your last chance. Yes, sir.
08:30Today was supposed to be the deadline for the visa review that was called for in the
08:36executive order. There is some indication that that deadline may have actually been
08:41extended. Can you shed any light on that?
08:44I can tell you that the deadline is now not today.
08:46Okay.
08:47I can't tell you the specifics, but it's – don't expect that to be – that today
08:52is a day that something will have to come out. Of course, what we do know is that – what
08:57I can say to you is that the Department of State is committed to protecting our nation
09:01and its citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public
09:05safety through our visa process. As laid out by Trump's executive order, which is
09:09what initiated this dynamic, the visa adjudication process must ensure that U.S.-bound foreign
09:15travelers do not pose a threat to the national security and public safety of the United States.
09:21This was obviously a huge discussion on September 12th, 2001. And this is an issue that Americans
09:27care about and the nation's safety requires.
09:30The department, however, does not comment on internal deliberations or communications
09:35to the extent where at least I can tell you that the deadline is not today.
09:39Okay. And then just one other thing, which is also kind of a – it's a very brief
09:42thing, but there's a lawsuit that's going on that's been the topic of – well, much
09:49attention on the AEA, the – to deport –
09:54Well, you obviously know I'm not going to speak to anything you're going to be asking
09:57me because it involves a legal process.
09:58Well, I'm not filing today.
09:59Well, I'm not filing even today.
10:01Well, I know, but it says that there's cabinet-level discussions about using a state secrets authority
10:07to –
10:08Matt, you know – and that's fine, but –
10:09Well, I know, but I have to ask.
10:10And you do have to ask. And this is, I think, for everyone watching and everyone here, they're
10:14learning from you, unfortunately, that there's – that, yes, absolutely ask. That's part
10:20of it. Americans wondering what is it you guys are looking at, what are you concentrating
10:24on, but also learning that when you've got a process within the legal system and also
10:28diplomatic conversations, et cetera, there are certain things that I can't speak about.
10:32And that's one of them.
10:33Okay.
10:34But thank you, sir.
10:36Andrea Mitchell.
10:37Hi. Thank you so much, Tammy. The President acknowledged today that if there are mistakes
10:41that were made in taking some of the people to El Salvador and the identifications of
10:47people, that they will be corrected. What are the efforts or the obligation of the State
10:53Department to follow up some of the complaints from families that their relatives were taken
10:59and are not gang members and are not – and do not have a violent history, to follow up
11:04with El Salvador? What rights do people have once they are taken to El Salvador and they're
11:10in that prison under human rights and under State Department procedures when they are
11:17taken under the rubric of national security?
11:20Well, a few things, of course. I don't speak for the White House or the President. He had
11:26some great comments to make earlier today, as you know, as you're referencing, and
11:31I think his comments speak for themselves. I also can't speak about the individuals
11:35who have been transported or legal mechanisms or diplomatic mechanisms regarding their status.
11:43But what I can say is that our relationship with President Bukele is excellent, that this
11:48isn't a situation where there's no communication or a relationship that doesn't continue
11:52on with El Salvador or the President, and of course, this is an issue that we also continue
11:58to focus on. So that, I can tell you, is – if the President mentioned it, I think that sends
12:03a signal, if not more so, about his commitment and the nature of what he knows and what he
12:08says he's going to do about it, and that's where we're going to leave it.
12:11Well, let me just follow up, because the video, certainly, that was taken by El Salvador showed
12:15some harsh treatment. Does the U.S. feel any obligation in terms of human rights or
12:22legal authority when people are taken to another country to a prison to follow up on what the
12:29conditions are in which they're being held?
12:31Well, again, that is also DHS. It's not the State Department's purview in that kind
12:36of a framework. Even the removing of people from the country is not the State Department's
12:40purview. That's a question for the DHS, but it's certainly not something I can even
12:47speculate on or – I'm not going to speak on the nature of El Salvador's process and
12:52how it handles the nature of the people that they repatriated.
12:54But they were taken under the authority of the Secretary of State and his deliberations.
12:57Well, and that was implemented by the Department of Homeland Security, so yes.
13:01All right, now, Jen, yes.
13:03Humera from –
13:04Humera, Humera.
13:05No, that's okay.
13:07This is – in all honesty, and if I was on Broadway, it might be a different situation,
13:12it's kind of hard to see. So you'll have to forgive me in the sense of that. Humera,
13:17yes.
13:18Thanks, Tammy. Just a few follow-ups to colleagues' questions. You not yet asked about Defense
13:26Minister Katz's comments about annexation. I just want to make it clear, does the Trump
13:31administration support Israel annexing or holding – permanently holding territory
13:37in Gaza? And is the administration doing anything specifically to reopen the border for the
13:45flow of humanitarian aid?
13:46Again, we're in a dynamic where there is diplomatic conversations happening. We're
13:51still working to implement ceasefires and dealing with issues and questions regarding
13:56what can happen on the ground when there's still hostilities and still conflict. I will
14:02not speak to or guess about what the President is going to do, what he's thinking. It's
14:08not my place. And the good news is we have a President and a Secretary of State, as I've
14:14mentioned a few times, that are not shy men, that you will hear from them. And you do,
14:18courtesy of social media, courtesy of statements from this department or the White House. So
14:23it is – it's certainly not my place. We want to have facts of the matter that I can
14:31state to you regarding our positions. And it is – I think, as I've mentioned to
14:35many of you, after 25-plus years of being on talk radio and television, where there
14:43is guessing or opinion, we can't do that. And so I'm clearly very strict in that regard.
14:50One more on – can I have one more on Syria?
14:53One more on Syria.
14:54Okay, thank you. And thanks for that Syria statement. That might actually be the clearest
14:58and the first time that the Administration talked about Syria. So my follow-up is this.
15:05Can I mention, though, in the midst of that?
15:06Sure.
15:07It is because of your questions, the nature of what your interests are, and the importance
15:15of what I think we encourage here when it comes to – there's all kinds of countries
15:21and cities that are in the news all the time, but things are happening all around the world
15:26that affect all of us. And it's that kind of modern age, and it's exciting to be able
15:30to look for those answers and at least provide some insight. So I'm sorry, go ahead.
15:35There is a big expectation for any sanctions relief that U.S. could give to Syria. Is this
15:42something the Administration is thinking about? And what would it take to give sanctions relief
15:48to Syria?
15:50There are – the sanctions dynamic has not changed, and there's no plans to change
15:57it at this point. But there is – so the existing measures that have always existed
16:03remain, and I understand why that's a question. But we have authorized Syria General License
16:0924, which allows for transactions meant to help stabilize Syria. So it is not a blanket
16:17block, but the previous measures remain. But there is General License 24, again, that
16:25allows for transactions to help facilitate the stabilizing of that nation.
16:29All right. Yes, sir.
16:30If this is on Syria, you speak a little bit on Syria. I was wondering what's the State
16:35Department assessment on the new Syrian constitution that was drafted by the interim authority,
16:42which the draft was rejected by the minority groups, and they are saying that it has grants
16:46likely no rights of these minority groups, like Kurds and Jews.
16:51So one thing I can tell you, we are following developments that Ahmed al-Sharaa signed a
16:57– I guess signed a so-called constitutional declaration. And note concerns expressed around
17:04consolidation of power by al-Sharaa. We continue to call, as I've mentioned in my first part
17:10of my statement, for an inclusive, civilian-led government to ensure national institutions
17:16are effective, responsive, legitimate, and representative. And we are continuing to watch
17:21the interim authority's actions to see if they guarantee equal rights and treatment
17:25for all Syrians and preserve individual freedoms, as outlined in that constitutional declaration.
17:33So we continue to watch, and I think that will bear out the nature of what it is we're
17:37dealing with. Bottom line, we continue to stand with the people of Syria.
17:42My question on Iran – you spoke about Iran, too, and that the policy of this administration
17:47is very clear.
17:48I'm sorry, I'm not – can you start again, please?
17:51Yeah, sure. You spoke about Iran, and I think that the policy of this administration towards
17:56Iran is pretty much clear. But the Iranian has rejected direct talks with you. My question
18:01is that what other options are on the table when it comes to Iran and make Iran that – not
18:08pursuing getting a nuclear weapons?
18:12Well, certainly sanctions, as we have applied, to say the least. Iran's behavior, as we
18:20know, across the globe, threatens U.S. national interests, which is why President Trump has
18:26reimposed the maximum pressure campaign designated to end Iran's nuclear threat, curtail its
18:32ballistic missile program, and stop it from supporting terrorist groups. The President
18:37has made clear Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. So – and that includes, again, the
18:44sanctions of nations that are assisting that framework, the sanctions, again, on a company
18:48with – regarding China. And there's a number of things diplomatically that can be
18:54done. This administration has been very effective in that regard, considering their position
19:00regarding stopping malign behavior, while also believing that wars have to end, to say
19:06the least.
19:07All right. Yes, Said. You asked before. Keep going. Yeah.
19:09Thank you, Tammy. Just to follow up on the annexation issue, because it's a big issue.
19:13It's been the American position, the steadfast official position, that no to reoccupying
19:19Gaza and definitely no to annexation. So do you feel that the U.S. is going to stick to
19:25this policy, or there's going to be some change regarding this issue? And then I have
19:29a follow-up on the humanitarian situation.
19:32Well – and I know you ask, and I appreciate your passion in asking about the humanitarian
19:37situation. That's what we all think about. We think about it here at State in a certain
19:41fashion, and you do yours. But again, when we think about rumors or suggestions or hypotheses
19:49or things talked about in the media, it is not a basis for my commentary about whether
19:57or not something is or is not going to happen. What I – I've expressed to you what we
20:02do know is what is public and what is the policy of this administration, certainly,
20:08that Secretary Rubio was committed to, which is ending bloodshed.
20:12Now, so there's the talk about annexing things or – that is, if anything, for those
20:21of you who care about these issues, it is a distraction to move past the nature of what's
20:26going on now via – with one cause, which is Hamas's attitude and actions. And while
20:34you then – we have to deal with what is continuing and not happening because of their
20:39choices. We are continuing to try to stop that. So it's interesting that we can continue
20:45to keep in – like, sir, just a minute – keep in our minds the nature of what's in front
20:51of us, which is still to stop the wholesale slaughter of people, the use of other individuals
20:57as human shields, the general chaos that that causes, and the fact that there are ways to
21:03stop it. And that's what we're working on now. But others, perhaps, they want us
21:09to always talk about something else, to get people distracted about that thing so you
21:14stop looking at what is the thing that we need to deal with immediately.
21:19And I look to the Trump administration and to Secretary Rubio as examples of keeping
21:24their eyes on the prize and working methodically in this moment to get us to where we need
21:30to go.
21:31All right.
21:32Just about –
21:33Yeah, well, let's – yes, go ahead.
21:34Can I switch topics, sir, if you want to stay on the region?
21:37Well, is –
21:38I have a question about Gaza.
21:39I'll – well, thank you. We'll stay on the region then. Yes, sir.
21:42Just – Tammy just mentioned that your goal is to stop the war and to let the humanitarian
21:50aid get inside Gaza, and this is, I believe, the goal of everyone else. But according to
21:57the UN, Israel stopped aid from going through the crossing 20 days now, consecutively. This
22:07is the longest since October 7th, and this happened before the renewed airstrikes now,
22:14so there was no military operations in the region that prevent aid from going in. Do
22:21you feel that this is a collective punishment for Palestinians in Gaza to force Hamas to
22:28give some concessions? And is this acceptable?
22:30Well, when you're asking me if I feel something, obviously I'm not going to go into a soliloquy
22:35of what I feel. What I can tell you is I also won't speak about a hypothetical or a separate
22:43report of what has happened with Israel. You would need to ask the Israeli Government about
22:48if something occurred that you believe occurred or want clarity on. I don't speak for the
22:53Israeli Government or for their prime minister. I speak for the U.S. State Department that
22:57has an interest in it. But you're asking a question we could – we probably could
23:02discuss over dinner, but that's not a question for this podium or for what we are discussing
23:06here. What we do know, what we – there are certain things that are facts of the matter,
23:11is that Hamas has put Israel and the world and the Gazan people in this position because
23:18of their – the madness, the savagery that they decided would be a good thing to do.
23:24I don't know what they thought would occur, but it perhaps is not what has occurred, which
23:29is a unity around the world after we saw that atrocity on October 7th. What we also, though,
23:35have done on – for everyone affected as a global issue, certainly first the Gazan
23:40people, the Israelis, et cetera, but as a global unified effort, is to stop the carnage.
23:48It's a meat grinder. It's people being used by others who just seem to not – certainly
23:54they're not focused on peace at the end. It is Hamas who needs to be asked certain
23:59questions about why this continues, because this has been their choice. There has been
24:04elements that have been agreed upon, other steps that people – the world came together
24:10to facilitate that the United States was committed to, and it's still – they still abandoned
24:16it.
24:17Idan Alexander, when we talk about hostages who have been released or killers of Americans
24:23who have been extradited, there is an American who is still being held, the bodies of the
24:29dead being held. That is what is in front of us. This is what needs to be stopped, and
24:36that is what we're committed to.
24:37Yes, sir.
24:37My question is on the –
24:38With the glasses there in the back.
24:39Yeah, the –
24:40No, no, the gentleman in front of you, sir.
24:43Yeah, yeah. So thank you. Daniele Compatangelo for Italian LA7.
24:46Yes.
24:47So a question still about the meeting. If you confirm the meeting with the Israeli and
24:53the Americans next week here at the State Department and the White House, and if so
24:58– about Iran, it's going to be. That's from a report on Axios. So can you – if
25:04it's true, can you tell – can you give us some insight?
25:06Nice ending phrase there.
25:07Yeah. Can you give us some insight of what we're going to see or what –
25:11Right, I know. If this is at the White House, as you suggested –
25:14And this is at the Department of State.
25:15This is – again, I can't tell you what's going to happen at the White House, and I
25:19won't be confirming any meetings in this regard. All right. All right, now you're
25:24ready, right? Let's do it.
25:25Thank you, Tammy. You have questions about this on Monday. It will have been almost a
25:30week since there was the announcement about termination of funds to USAGM broadcasters
25:35such as Voice of America and other grantees. As a senator, Secretary Rubio was supportive
25:41of the U.S. grantee broadcaster Radio Free Asia. He protected it from cutbacks in the
25:45past. Does he want to revive the funding for Radio Free Asia, which broadcasts into countries
25:51like China, Cambodia, and Vietnam? And is he aware that due to the funding termination,
25:56a number of the journalists who work for Radio Free Asia are potentially facing – could
26:00face deportation back to countries like China and Vietnam, where they may face imprisonment
26:05as a consequence of the reporting work that they've done for the U.S. Government by
26:09working for this outlet? And the same goes for Voice of America journalists who also risk
26:13deportation back to countries such as Russia, Myanmar, Belarus, China, and Vietnam. Do you
26:19have a comment?
26:20Well, I did have that question, and I have the question out to the Secretary. It's something
26:25that I'm following up with as well. It has been a story, understandably. You're interested in
26:30the answers to this. So I'm going directly to him. It's – he's a busy guy, but as – I'm
26:38going to continue to look for that from him. What I can tell you also, though, is that we're
26:45reducing, clearly – he was elected in large part – to reduce the federal bureaucracy, right? It's
26:50about waste and fraud, mismanagement. This is something that has to occur. And in any dynamic,
26:56there's going to be actions and tough decisions that have to be made. It's – many of us personally
27:03also have to go through that when you're looking at a budget. The President continues to take
27:07action to ensure the whole of the United States Government, including executive branch agencies,
27:12are in line with the administration's policy priorities. And I've said before, and I have
27:18to keep saying, is that many, many things are fluid, and it's why it's good why you're here
27:24and why now we're doing this three days a week, but also when we address the issue, as I asked
27:31about the issue of visas. There are people who are reporting certain things, and like in any
27:36situation, if you're in the United States and you are – and you have to leave, you can also apply
27:42for asylum. If you are in a situation where you believe you're returning to your home country
27:48puts you at significant risk, we have clearly procedures where you can apply for asylum,
27:55and that is – certainly if someone is coming from that workplace or some other situation,
28:01that's something that people can do. If you have a visa – and every situation is different,
28:05that's why we don't discuss individual visa dynamics – but if someone is here and it is a
28:11work visa and it's – their employment has ended, there is a period of time – it's like any other
28:17visa dynamic for anyone who holds a visa, and you can learn about that at state.gov. You can
28:24talk to – there's a whole host of people that can help you. And if you've – I would guess if
28:28you're here on a work visa, that was probably a complicated – semi-complicated procedure,
28:34and so you're aware of these things. And so this is what is obvious for anyone in this kind of a
28:40situation, especially for those worried about the nature of reporting or a dynamic where they're
28:47concerned about returning. There are options like that, and that, again, is a very basic
28:53situation for everyone in that kind of a situation. Yes, sir.
28:57Thank you, Tammy. I'm going to follow up on Iran very quickly, then I'll move to Ukraine. If you
29:02could please indulge me. You started highlighting some of the tools in your toolkit on Iran
29:06sanctions. Can I ask you about a particular sanction law? It's a law of the land which is
29:12called the Mahsa Act, which requires the administration to target Iranian leadership
29:16for their gross human rights violations. Is this administration willing to implement the Mahsa Act?
29:22Is this administration what?
29:23Willing to implement the act.
29:25Well, again, I'm not – that would take me knowing what their thoughts are or discussing
29:30what diplomatic considerations are, issues that I can't – I'm certainly not going to speculate on.
29:36That's a hypothetical for the most part, and I can't do that. Yes, at the end.
29:40Thank you. I'm moving to Ukraine, if I may. Very quickly, Tammy, on Ukraine. I was hoping you could
29:44fill us in on the delegation that's headed to Saudi Arabia. I know one of them is –
29:48Wait, you're going to have to – you're going to have – maybe his mic can come up.
29:52Start again.
29:53Yeah, sure.
29:54Maybe a little bit more slowly, too.
29:55Absolutely.
29:56I was hoping you could fill us in on the delegation that's headed to Saudi Arabia
30:00to discuss Ukraine. Michael Anton from this building is part of the team. Anyone else you
30:05could mention, please? And also, any reaction to overnight assault on Ukraine from –
30:08Well, I'm not going to speak about the particular individuals on the teams, all right? It is senior
30:14officials. It's not principals. That's what we have. I think it's inappropriate to discuss,
30:21certainly, personnel, let alone senior officials who might be on a negotiation team. But yeah,
30:29it's a dynamic that clearly we'll get the results from, we'll see the details,
30:35and then we can make some assessments about perhaps who was involved and where we go next.
30:40All right. Now, at the end of the row here – yes, ma'am. Go ahead, please.
30:43My question is on Afghanistan. After four years for first time American delegate
30:49traveled to Kabul yesterday and discussed with the Taliban senior leader. My question is does
30:54it mean the new diplomatic approach from United States towards Taliban? And can you clarify,
31:00aside that releasing American hostage, what other topic were discussed in this meeting with Taliban?
31:07Well, I wasn't at the meeting with the Taliban. Even if I was, I wouldn't give you any details.
31:12If there was – certainly, these are diplomatic considerations,
31:16and we have – but the main end result, which I think is the north star of this framework,
31:22is that an American is home. So that's what we have to care about.
31:26In the meantime, I think that there's a general series of issues that we're dealing with, but
31:33keep encouraging you to think about the nature of the subjects that are in front of us that we're
31:38working on, that are steps in longer processes to not just keep Americans safe and get Americans
31:44home, but to change the condition of the world that's in front of us.
31:48All right, all the way in the back. Gentleman in the white shirt. Yes, please.
31:51Thank you. Going back to the issue of Voice of America and, like, global engagement media,
31:58the State Department was very active fighting disinformation,
32:01especially through the Global Engagement Center. They were very important in unveiling Russian
32:10state disinformation campaigns, Portal Combat and others in the previous administration.
32:15I wanted to ask you if the Global Engagement Center is still active. How concerned are you
32:21that RT, Sputnik News, all that Russian disinformation outlets are going to be countered
32:28now without American state media to counter their narratives and what they have been doing in the
32:36past years? Well, that is a stretch here, and I've mentioned this on Wednesday, that we do
32:43have a lot of very familiar structures and systems that are changing. And that doesn't
32:48mean that the work stops. It means that the efforts and the outreach and the engagement
32:54will look different, perhaps. But our values and what has informed the United States of America
33:01from day one through all of this time hasn't changed. And it's why we remain the greatest
33:08and the strongest country in the world. And we can have these conversations. But
33:13while we're in the process of change in this fashion, it's the change of an administrative
33:20structure regarding taxpayer dollars as we assess, is the money we're spending,
33:27does it align with the values, with the agenda of the Trump administration that the American
33:32people overwhelmingly voted for to get things done? And it doesn't mean burning the house down.
33:40It means looking at how we can make it better, what needs to be changed, what needs to be reformed
33:46so that we can spend money in a smarter, more efficient way. So, yes, certain entities,
33:53certain buildings will be housed differently. Certain attitudes will perhaps change.
34:00But the goals and the attitude and the values of the United States not only haven't changed,
34:06they've been highlighted by the election of Donald Trump, a man who has brought back the notion of
34:12the idea that any American should be forgotten, that there should be no forgotten man or woman,
34:17that we have a responsibility to the world, but not in participating and facilitating wars,
34:24in doing things new and in a different way. And that includes within the structure of this
34:29government and how we apply our values. So I would argue that this is not – it's not a retreat on
34:40quite the opposite. This is a preparation to continue the work in a smarter, stronger way.
34:47All right. We'll take one more question. Yes, Alex.
34:49QUESTION. If I could just follow up on my colleague's questions. Could you take us
34:53through the choreography of this weekend at these technical talks? Is it over multiple days? How are
35:00they dividing up the two different countries? And then I'll have a follow-up on the Taliban question.
35:04AMBASSADOR HALEY Yes. I – this is held very close. This is all very serious. And so I'm not going to
35:12answer the details of how it's unfolding. I – when this is complete, I will pursue the nature of
35:20getting some answers and the specifics for that for you. And I do believe – one thing I can say is,
35:25like with everything with President Trump and Secretary Rubio, things happen quickly. So I would
35:32suspect that we will have answers on this very soon.
35:35QUESTION. Thank you. And then in terms of just the Taliban, and that was an unusual meeting. It
35:39wasn't just Adam Boehler, who was in charge of getting hostages out, but he was joined by
35:43Zalmay Khalilzad. Does he have a formal role within the Trump administration? And Palestinian-American
35:49billionaire Bashar al-Masri was also there. Can you clarify both their roles?
35:53AMBASSADOR HALEY Yes. There is no one with an official government role,
35:58the gentleman you mentioned. This is certainly not a negotiation. There was no swap made. There
36:05was no thing given to accomplish this. As a matter of fact, other hostages from Afghanistan were
36:12released on the day of Trump's inauguration, so a little bit after noon on the 20th. So I think this
36:18is – in addition to terrific envoys who know how to handle this situation, it is also the impact of
36:26a strong America led by a man who is known to do what he needs to do to accomplish his mission.
36:33And that is, I think, often an unusual situation. So I hope that answers your question.
36:38QUESTION Why were they there if they don't have official roles?
36:41AMBASSADOR HALEY Well, I can't speculate on that. That's
36:44something, though, at some point. But I certainly am not in a position to speculate about why they
36:49were. Yes, ma'am, the white jacket and then that. That's going to be it for today.
36:53QUESTION Thank you. I appreciate it.
36:54AMBASSADOR HALEY Sure.
36:54QUESTION After the Istanbul Mayor Imamoglu's arrest this week, there are indications that
36:59Turkish Government is now canceling the main opposition party's latest party convention and
37:05will appoint a trustee for the main opposition. What is the U.S. Government's reaction to this?
37:12Because there are opinion reports mentioning that this operation came right after President
37:18Trump and Erdogan's phone call. Is this still internal legal process matter in your view?
37:23AMBASSADOR HALEY What's your outlet again, by the way?
37:25QUESTION On TV, Turkish.
37:26AMBASSADOR HALEY Oh, great, great. Welcome aboard.
37:28Well, I can tell you a few things. First, we're following the events in Turkey, as you might
37:32imagine, including the reported detention of the Istanbul Mayor and a large number of municipal
37:39employees, journalists, and other individuals. We would refer you to the Government of Turkey for
37:45comments on internal judicial matters. And of course, it is worth reiterating that Turkey – we
37:51– it's important that Turkey protect the freedoms and human rights of all of its citizens,
37:55consistent with the country's constitution and in line with our shared values and democratic
38:01traditions.
38:01QUESTION And what's more, corruption charges the mayor facing, of course. But how about
38:06appointing a trustee for the main opposition? Do you have anything on that?
38:10AMBASSADOR HALEY Well, if that is going to come up, it's not, again, my place to discuss it or
38:15to surmise or to hypothesize either. I think that's going to be it for today. All right,
38:20everybody. We will be back on Monday. We will have our briefing on Monday and Friday next week.
38:26All right. Thank you, everybody. Thanks for being here. It's a beautiful day out there. Enjoy it.