CSPAN - State Department Spokesperson Holds Briefing

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March 21, 2025 14:16-14:59 - CSPAN

42:53

State Department Spokesperson Holds Briefing

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tammy bruce

27:09

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ken cuccinelli

01:13

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addison mcdowell

rep/r 00:16

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Speaker	Time	Text
ken cuccinelli ▲ ● ▼		was randomly assigned to this case, that doesn't change the recusal analysis.
		He still should have recused himself in favor of a judge that had no family ties whatsoever to the circumstances that would be judged before him or her.
		That's not law so much.
		That really is opinion.
		Different people can have different views of that.
		And I don't mean a daughter who felt strongly about it or who was an activist.
		We're talking here about making money.
		And that puts things in a very different category.
		With respect to the seat of government, that's certainly true.
		It also demonstrates they were targeting a national effort and not actually just defending the clients that the ACLU had.
		I think they had five clients or so.
		I could be wrong on that.
		Signed up among those who were deported this way.
		But you should be bringing those cases from the location of where what you allege to be the offense took.
unidentified		Yeah.
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		All right.
		Thank you, everybody.
		Lights seem a little brighter today.
		I don't know if that's good or bad.
unidentified		Thank you, Jake.
unidentified		All right.
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		Yeah, these lights are really bright.
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		Is that a different setting?
unidentified		I don't think so.
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		It might be my mood.
		All right, everybody.
		Thank you.
		Welcome aboard.
		I've got a bit of announcement for you here before we start our questions.
		Thank you again for coming.
		I'm Tammy Bruce, obviously the spokesperson for the State Department.
		Thank you very much for being here.
		As Secretary Rubio said, George Glesman is free.
		George was wrongfully detained in Afghanistan for two and a half years.
		He arrived at Joint Base Andrews earlier today, where he was greeted by his wife and a small welcoming party.
		Ryan Corbett, who had been held in the same cell as George in Afghanistan, was there with his wife, Anna.
		After a brief ceremony, George and Alexandra flew to another location in the United States to rest and recover.
		We are grateful for the government of Qatar's support in bringing George home.
		The United Arab Emirates also played a role in facilitating the initial discussions.
		We remain deeply concerned about the well-being of Mahmoud Habibi and other Americans still detained in Afghanistan.
		The safety and security of Americans abroad remains a highest priority of this State Department, and we are working tirelessly to bring Americans home.
		In addition, for the first time, the United States is sanctioning a so-called teapot refinery in China for purchasing millions of barrels of oil worth approximately half a billion dollars.
		We are also sanctioning several additional entities and vessels in Iran's shadow fleet for shipping millions of barrels of Iranian oil to China.
		Iran's behavior across the globe threatens U.S. national security interests.
		President Trump has re-imposed a maximum pressure campaign designed to end Iran's nuclear threat, curtail its ballistic missile program, and stop it from supporting terrorist groups.
		The maximum pressure campaign is designed to drive Iran's oil exports, which it uses to fund its destabilizing activities, to zero.
		This includes oil exports to China.
		Now, also, we know that President Trump has never forgotten or stopped fighting for justice after Sarah Root was tragically murdered in 2018 by an illegal alien who was driving under the influence and became a fugitive from justice.
		Today, nine years after Sarah's passing, the night of her college graduation, her parents will know that their tireless advocacy was not in vain.
		Justice and accountability under the Trump administration prevailed as the culprit of Sarah's death has been extradited from Honduras to the United States so he can face justice once and for all.
		I want to express, this is the Secretary's statement.
		He wants to express his gratitude to the Honduran government for their cooperation in this extradition.
		So that is a statement that's been on the record from the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, about this excellent turn of events regarding Sarah and the justice now that her parents and her family will be able to enjoy.
		And I would like to open it up for questions, thinking you might have some.
unidentified		Yes, sir.
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		Oh, Matt, Matt.
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		I wanted to just make sure he was watching and listening, Matt Lee.
unidentified		I was actually going to say that I don't really have anything that they can do.
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		I psychically could tell because the page in front of you, sir, is blank.
		So let's do something different.
		We'll come back to Matt so he can recover.
		Yes, sir.
unidentified		I never think of usurping that.
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		And let's also do for people who are watching at home, obviously my fourth briefing.
		At some point, I won't keep numbering them.
		But a lot of new people keep watching every time, and it's the American people wanting to get a sense of what is on your minds, what we're doing, and I look forward to doing that.
		So let's go.
unidentified		Two questions for you.
		First off, hope you're doing well.
		Thank you.
		Yesterday, the interesting combination of Elizabeth Ward and Joe Wilson sent a letter to Secretaries Rubio Investment inquiring about the possible unwinding abroad sanctions on Syria, including investment sanctions, which leads to the question, where does the State Department stand right now on Syria?
		Is it more the European flavor of kind of opening up the arms a little bit?
		Is it Israel's view of staying away?
		It's too dangerous right now.
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		If you can give an overview, it'd be great.
		I can give you a little bit, certainly.
		I don't know if a full overview or not.
		But we are monitoring the Syrian interim authorities' actions in general across a number of issues as we determine and think about the future U.S. policy for Syria.
		We also continue to call for an inclusive civilian-led government that can ensure national institutions are effective, responsive, and representative.
		Local ownership and broad societal support is necessary for stability in Syria and the region, as recent deadly violence on the coast demonstrated.
		Long-term stability and prosperity for the people of Syria requires a government that protects all Syrians equally.
		Ultimately, the United States wants a Syria that lives in peace with its neighbors, respects human rights, and prohibits terrorists from using its territory as a safe haven.
		Clear designs there, clear parameters, easy to understand, and we're watching to see how they behave and how they react.
unidentified		Second question, U.S.-South African relations, obviously not good right now after declaring the Ambassador Prasanna Nangrada.
		A new issue arising now, the South African presidency putting pressure on the Johannesburg City Council not to move forward with an effort to rename the street upon which the U.S. Consulate resides in honor of a Palestinian hijacker.
		That move by the South African presidency, is that as a result of direct pressure from the State Department or is that being done on their own volition to try to mend fences?
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		Well, we have seen the reporting on the issue and we don't comment on internal deliberations between really any city and its government, certainly the city of Johannesburg and the government in this case of South Africa and perhaps South Africa.
		I'd refer you to Johannesburg or South Africa for more details.
		But that's what I have for you.
unidentified		Sorry.
unidentified		Did the state get involved in any manner on that?
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		That's what I have for you.
		All right, Matt Lee.
		Who's still, he's scrolling.
		He's gone.
unidentified		I'm trying to find something and I can't find it.
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		Well, welcome to my world.
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		Yes, Nadia.
unidentified		Thank you, Nani.
		Two questions.
		On Sudan, first, the Army has took over the presidential palace.
		Do you see a change on the ground?
		And what is U.S. position regarding this development?
		And second, on Gaza, the Israelis are declaring that they want to annex Gaza, or parts of Gaza at least.
		Is any new initiative to bring them back to the negotiation table for the ceasefire?
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		Well, first, on your first question, the SAF, the Sudanese Armed Forces, they have retaken the presidential palace in Khartoum.
		The ongoing fighting in Khartoum further underscores the devastating consequences of the conflict for the people of Sudan.
		And we continue to urge the warring parties to cease hostilities and facilitate the safe, unhindered movement of life-saving humanitarian assistance.
		So, you know, we're watching that.
		I think the world should be.
		Much of it is watching that situation.
		And that seems to be an important event.
		But we're watching and we're aware of it.
		As far as Gaza, look, we're still dealing with the efforts to have a ceasefire, which we had and was, courtesy of Hamas, broken because of their lack of action on the parameters of the ceasefire itself.
		We, of course, stand by our ally, Israel, as I mentioned, every day, happily so.
		And so I certainly won't comment on or speculate on other hypotheses of what people think is going or not going to happen.
		I think the main goal is humanitarian supplies, the nature of the violence stopping.
		That is the sole focus of the nature of where we're at at this point.
		I'm going to, well, I don't know.
unidentified		Can I follow up on it?
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		Follow up on the question.
		I'll get back to you.
		So let's keep going here.
		So today was the last chance.
unidentified		Today was supposed to be the deadline for the visa review that was called for in the executive order.
		There's some indication that that deadline may have actually been extended.
		Can you shed any light on that?
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		I can tell you that the deadline is now not today.
		I can't tell you the specifics, but don't expect that to be that today is a day that something will have to come out.
		Of course, what we do know is that what I can say to you is that the Department of State is committed to protecting our nation and its citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process.
		As laid out by Trump's executive order, which is what initiated this dynamic, the visa adjudication process must ensure that U.S.-bound foreign travelers do not pose a threat to the national security and public safety of the United States.
		This was obviously a huge discussion on September 12th, 2001.
		And this is an issue that Americans care about and the nation's safety requires.
		The Department, however, does not comment on internal deliberations or communications to the extent where at least I can tell you that the deadline is not today.
unidentified		Okay, one other thing, which is also kind of a very brief thing, but you know, this lawsuit that's going on that's been the topic of much attention on the AEA to deport that.
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		Well, you obviously know I'm not going to speak to anything you're going to be asking me because it involves a legal process.
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		Well, I'm filing even today.
unidentified		It says that there are cabinet-level discussions about using a state secrets authority to you.
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		And I think I have to ask.
		And you do have to ask, and this is, I think, for everyone watching and everyone here, they're learning from you, unfortunately, that there's that, yes, absolutely ask.
		That's part of it.
		Americans wondering what is it you guys are looking at?
		What are you concentrating on?
		But also learning that when you've got a process within the legal system and also diplomatic conversations, et cetera, there are certain things that I can't speak about.
		And that's one of them.
		But thank you, sir.
		Andrea Mitchell.
unidentified		Thank you so much, Tammy.
		The President acknowledged today that if there are mistakes that were made in taking some of the people to El Salvador in the identifications of people, that they will be corrected.
		What are the efforts or the obligation of the State Department to follow up some of the complaints from families that their relatives were taken and are not gang members and do not have a violent history to follow up with El Salvador?
		What rights do people have once they are taken to El Salvador and are in that prison under human rights and under State Department procedures when they are taken under the rubric of national security?
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		Well, a few things.
		Of course, I don't speak for the White House or the President.
		He had some great comments to make earlier today, as you know, as you're referencing.
		And I think his comments speak for themselves.
		I also can't speak about the individuals who have been transported or legal mechanisms or diplomatic mechanisms regarding their status.
		But what I can say is that our relationship with President Bukele is excellent, that this isn't a situation where there's no communication or a relationship that doesn't continue on with El Salvador or the President.
		And of course, this is an issue that we also continue to focus on.
		So that I can tell you is if the President mentioned it, I think that sends a signal, if not more so, about his commitment and the nature of what he knows and what he says he's going to do about it.
		And that's where we're going to leave it.
unidentified		Because the videos certainly that were taken by El Salvador showed some harsh treatment.
unidentified		Does the U.S. feel any obligation in terms of human rights or legal authority when people are taken to another country, to a prison, to follow up on what the conditions are in which they're being held?
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		Well, again, that is also DHS.
		It's not the State Department's purview in that kind of framework, even the removing of people from the country, it's not the State Department's purview.
		That's a question for the DHS, but it's certainly not something I can even speculate on or I'm not going to speak on the nature of El Salvador's process and how it handles the nature of the people that they repatriated.
unidentified		Under the authority of the Secretary of State.
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		Well, and that was implemented by the Department of Homeland Security.
		So yes.
		All right, now.
		Jen, yes.
unidentified		It's Humeira from San Francisco.
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		Humara Himera.
		In all honesty, and if I was on Broadway, it might be a different situation.
		It's kind of hard to see.
		So you'll have to forgive me in the sense of that.
		Humara, yes.
unidentified		Thanks, Tommy.
		Just a few follow-ups to colleagues' questions.
		You not asked about Defense Minister Katz's comments about annexation.
		I just want to make it clear, does the Trump administration support Israel annexing or holding, permanently holding territory in Gaza?
		And is the administration doing anything specifically to reopen the border for the flow of humanitarian aid?
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		Again, we're in a dynamic where there is diplomatic conversations happening.
		We're still working to implement ceasefires and dealing with issues and questions regarding what can happen on the ground when there's still hostilities and still conflict.
		I will not speak to or guess about what the president is going to do, what he's thinking.
		It's not my place.
		And the good news is we have a president and a secretary of state, as I've mentioned a few times, that are not shy men, that you will hear from them, and you do, courtesy of social media, courtesy of statements from this department or the White House.
		So it's certainly not my place.
		We want to have facts of the matter that I can state to you regarding our positions.
		And it is, I think, as I've mentioned to many of you, after 25 plus years of being on talk radio and television, where there is guessing or opinion, we can't do that.
		And so I'm clearly very strict in that regard.
		One more on the side.
		Yes, sir.
unidentified		One more on Syria.
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		One more on Syria.
unidentified		Okay, thank you.
		And thanks for that serious statement.
		That might actually be the clearest and the first time that the administration talked about Syria.
		So my follow-up is this.
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		Kim, can I mention in the midst of that?
unidentified		Sure.
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		It is because of your questions, the nature of what your interests are, and the importance of what I think we encourage here when it comes to, you know, there's all kinds of countries and cities that are in the news all the time, but things are happening all around the world that affect all of us.
		And it's that kind of modern age, and it's exciting to be able to look for those answers and at least provide some insight.
		So I'm sorry, go ahead.
unidentified		There is a big expectation for any sanctions relief that the U.S. could give to Syria.
unidentified		Is this something the administration is thinking about and what would it take to give sanctions relief to Syria?
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		You know, there are the sanctions dynamic has not changed, and there's no plans to change it at this point.
		But there is, so the existing measures that have always existed remain.
		And I understand why that's a question.
		But we have authorized Syria General License 24, which allows for transactions meant to help stabilize Syria.
		So it is not a blanket block, but the previous measures remain, but there is General License 24, again, that allows for transactions to help facilitate the stabilizing of that nation.
		All right, yes, sir.
unidentified		You speak a little bit on Syria.
unidentified		I was wondering what's the State Department assessment on the new Syrian constitution that was drafted by the interim authority, which the draft was rejected by the minority groups, and they are saying that it has grants likely no rights of these minority groups like Kurds and Jews.
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		So one thing I can tell you, we are following developments that Ahmed Al-Shara signed, I guess, signed a so-called constitutional declaration.
		And note concerns expressed around consolidation of power by Al-Shara.
		We continue to call, as I've mentioned in my first part of my statement, for an inclusive civilian-led government to ensure national institutions are effective, responsive, legitimate, and representative.
		And we are continuing to watch the interim authorities' actions to see if they guarantee equal rights and treatment for all Syrians and preserve individual freedoms as outlined in that constitutional declaration.
		So we continue to watch, and I think that will bear out the nature of what it is we're dealing with.
		Bottom line, we continue to stand with the people of Syria.
unidentified		You spoke about Iran too, and that the policy of this administration is very clear.
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		I'm sorry, I'm not here.
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		Can you start again, please?
unidentified		Yeah, sure.
		You spoke about Iran, and I think that the policy of this administration towards Iran is pretty much clear.
		But the Iranian has rejected direct talks with you.
		My question is that, what other options are on the table when it comes to Iran and make Iran that not pursuing getting a nuclear weapons?
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		Well, certainly sanctions, as we have applied, to say the least.
		Iran's behavior, as we know, across the globe threatens U.S. national interests, which is why President Trump has reimposed the maximum pressure campaign designated to end Iran's nuclear threat, curtail its ballistic missile program, and stop it from supporting terrorist groups.
		The President has made clear Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.
		And that includes, again, the sanctions of nations that are assisting that framework, the sanctions, again, on a company regarding China.
		And there's a number of things diplomatically that can be done.
		This administration has been very effective in that regard, considering their position regarding stopping malign behavior while also believing that wars have to end, to say the least.
unidentified		All right.
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		Yes, Said, you asked before.
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		Keep going.
unidentified		Thank you.
		Tammy, just to follow up on the annexation issue, because it's a big issue.
		It's been the American position, the steadpath official position, that no to reoccupying Gaza and definitely no to annexation.
		So do you feel that the U.S. is going to stick to this policy, or is there going to be some change regarding this issue?
		And then I have a follow-up on the humanitarian situation.
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		Well, and I know you ask, and I appreciate your passion and asking about the humanitarian situation.
		That's what we all think about.
		You know, we think about it here at state in a certain fashion, and you do yours.
		But again, when we think about rumors or suggestions or hypotheses or things talked about in the media, it is not a basis for my commentary about whether or not something is or is not going to happen.
		What I've expressed to you what we do know is what is public and what is the policy of this administration, certainly that Secretary Rubio was committed to, which is ending bloodshed.
		Now, so there's the talk about annexing things, or that is, if anything, for those of you who care about these issues, it is a distraction to move past the nature of what's going on now with one cause, which is Hamas's attitude and actions.
		And while you then deal with what is continuing and not happening because of their choices, we are continuing to try to stop that.
		So it's interesting that we can continue to keep in light, sir, just a minute, keep in our minds the nature of what's in front of us, which is still to stop the wholesale slaughter of people, the use of other individuals as human shields, the general chaos that that causes, and the fact that there are ways to stop it.
		And that's what we're working on now.
		But others, perhaps, they want us to always talk about something else to get people distracted about that thing so you stop looking at what is the thing that we need to deal with immediately.
		And I look to the Trump administration and to Secretary Rubio as examples of keeping their eyes on the prize and working methodically in this moment to get us to where we need to go.
		Yes, go ahead.
unidentified		If you want to stay on the region, thank you.
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		We'll stay on the region then.
unidentified		Yes, sir.
		Just Tammy, you just mentioned that your goal is to stop the war and to let the humanitarian aid get inside Gaza.
		And this is, I believe, the goal of everyone else.
		But according to the UN, Israel stopped AIDS from going through Kuta Crossing 20 days now, consecutively.
		This is the longest since October 7.
		And this happened before the renewed airstrikes now.
		So there was no military operations in the region that prevent aid from going in.
		Do you feel that this is a collective punishment for Palestinians in Gaza to force Hamas to give some concessions?
		And is this acceptable?
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		Well, when you're asking me if I feel something, obviously I'm not going to go into a soliloquy of what I feel.
		What I can tell you is I also won't speak about a hypothetical or a separate report of what has happened with Israel.
		You would need to ask the Israeli government about if something occurred that you believe occurred or want clarity on.
		I don't speak for the Israeli government or for their prime minister.
		I speak for the U.S. State Department that has an interest in it.
		But you're asking a question we probably could discuss over dinner, but that's not a question for this podium or for what we are discussing here.
		What we do know, there are certain things that are facts of the matter, is that Hamas has put Israel and the world and the Gazan people in this position because of the madness, the savagery that they decided would be a good thing to do.
		I don't know what they thought would occur, but it perhaps is not what has occurred, which is a unity around the world after we saw that atrocity on October 7th.
		What we also, though, have done for everyone affected as a global issue, certainly first the Gazan people, the Israelis, et cetera, but as a global unified effort, is to stop the carnage.
		It's a meat grinder.
		It's people being used by others who just seem to not, certainly they're not focused on peace at the end.
		It is Hamas who needs to be asked certain questions about why this continues, because this has been their choice.
		There has been elements that have been agreed upon, other steps that people, the world came together to facilitate that the United States was committed to, and it's still, they still abandoned it.
		Idan Alexander, when we talk about hostages who have been released or killers of Americans who've been extradited, there is an American who is still being held.
		The bodies of the dead being held.
		That is what is in front of us.
		This is what needs to be stopped.
		And that is what we're committed to.
		Yes, sir.
		With the glasses there in the back.
		No, the gentleman in front of you, sir.
		Yeah.
unidentified		So thank you.
		Daniela Compatangero for Italian NA7.
		Yes.
		So a question still about the meeting.
		If you confirm the meeting with the Israeli and the Americans next week here at the State Department and the White House.
		And if so, about Iran is going to be.
		That's from a report on Axios.
		So can you, if it's true, can you tell us, can you give us a nice ending phrase there?
		Yes.
		Can you give us some insight of what we're going to see?
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		If this is at the White House, as you suggest.
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		Well, again, I can't tell you what's going to happen at the White House, and I won't be confirming any meetings in this regard.
unidentified		All right.
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		All right, now you're ready, right?
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		Let's go.
unidentified		Thank you, Tanya.
		You've got questions about this on Monday.
		It will have been almost a week since there was the announcement about termination of funds to US AGM broadcasters such as Voice of America and other grantees.
		As a senator, Secretary Rubio was supportive of the U.S. grantee broadcast of Radio Free Asia.
		He protected it from cutbacks in the past.
		Does he want to revive the funding for Radio Free Asia, which broadcasts into countries like China, Cambodia, and Vietnam?
		And is he aware that due to the funding termination, a number of the journalists who work for Radio Free Asia are potentially facing, could face deportation back to countries like China and Vietnam, where they may face imprisonment as a consequence of the reporting work that they've done for the U.S. government by working for this outlet.
		And the same goes for Voice of America journalists who also risk deportation back to countries such as Russia, Myanmar, Belarus, China, and Vietnam.
		Do you have a comment?
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		Well, I did have that question, and I have the question out to the Secretary.
		It's something that I'm following up with as well.
		It has been a story, understandably.
		You're interested in the answers to this.
		So I'm going directly to him.
		He's a busy guy, but I'm going to continue to look for that from him.
		What I can tell you also, though, is that we're reducing clearly, he's elected in large part, to reduce the federal bureaucracy, right?
		It's about waste and fraud, mismanagement.
		This is something that has to occur.
		And in any dynamic, there's going to be actions and tough decisions that have to be made.
		Many of us personally also have to go through that when you're looking at a budget.
		The President continues to take action to ensure the whole of the United States government, including executive branch agencies, are in line with the administration's policy priorities.
		And I've said before, and I have to keep saying, is that many, many things are fluid.
		And it's why it's good why you're here and why now we're doing this three days a week.
		But also when we address the issue, as I asked about the issue of visas, there are people who are reporting certain things.
		And like in any situation, if you're in the United States and you have to leave, you can also apply for asylum.
		If you are in a situation where you believe your returning to your home country puts you at significant risk, we have clearly procedures where you can apply for asylum.
		And that is certainly if someone is coming from that workplace or some other situation, that's something that people can do.
		If you have a visa, and every situation is different.
		That's why we don't discuss individual visa dynamics.
		But if someone is here and it is a work visa and their employment is ended, there is a period of time.
		It's like any other visa dynamic for anyone who holds a visa.
		And you can learn about that at state.gov.
		You can talk to, there's a whole host of people that can help you.
		And I would guess if you're here on a work visa, that was probably a complicated, semi-complicated procedure.
		And so you're aware of these things.
		And so this is what is obvious for anyone in this kind of a situation, especially for those worried about the nature of reporting or a dynamic where they're concerned about returning.
		There are options like that.
		And that, again, is a very basic situation for everyone in that kind of a situation.
		Yes, sir.
unidentified		Thank you, Tami.
		We'll follow up on Iran very quickly, then I'll move to Ukraine, if you please indulge me.
		You start off highlighting some of the tools in your toolkit on Iran sanctions.
		Law is a law of the land, which is called the Marsh Act, which requires the administration to target Iranian leadership for their gross human rights violations.
		Is this administration willing to implement the Marsa Act?
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		Is this administration what?
unidentified		Willing to implement the Act.
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		Well, I'm not, that would take me knowing what their thoughts are or discussing what diplomatic considerations are, issues that I can't, I'm certainly not going to speculate on.
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		That's a hypothetical for the most part, and I can't do that.
unidentified		Yes, if I may, very quickly, Tami, on Ukraine, I was hoping you could fill us in on the delegation is headed to Saudi Arabia.
unidentified		Another of them is a very important thing.
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		Maybe his mic can come up.
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		Start again.
unidentified		Yeah, sure.
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		And maybe a little bit more slowly, too.
unidentified		Absolutely.
		I was hoping you could fill us in on the delegation.
		It's headed to Saudi Arabia to discuss Ukraine.
		Michael Anton from this building is a part of the team.
		Anyone else you could mention, please?
		And also, any reaction to overnight assault on Ukraine from the United States?
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		I'm not going to speak about the particular individuals on the teams.
		It is senior officials.
		It's not principals.
		But that's what we have.
		I think it's inappropriate to discuss certainly personnel, let alone senior officials who might be on a negotiation team.
		But it's a dynamic that clearly will get the results from.
		We'll see the details.
		And then we can make some assessments about perhaps who is involved and where we go next.
		All right, now at the end of the row here, yes, ma'am.
		Go ahead, please.
unidentified		My question is on Afghanistan.
		After four years for the first time, American delegate and traveled to Al-Kabul yesterday and discussed with the Taliban senior leader.
		My question is: does it mean the new diplomatic approach from the United States towards Taliban?
		And can you clarify, aside releasing American hostage, what other topic were discussed in this meeting with Taliban?
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		I wasn't at the meeting with the Taliban.
		Even if I was, I wouldn't give you any details.
		Certainly, these are diplomatic considerations.
		And we have the main end result, which I think is the North Star of this framework, is that an American is home.
		So that's what we have to care about.
		In the meantime, I think that there's a general series of issues that we're dealing with, but keep encouraging you to think about the nature of the subjects that are in front of us, that we're working on, that are steps in longer processes to not just keep Americans safe and get Americans home, but to change the condition of the world that's in front of us.
		All right, all the way in the back, gentlemen with the white shirt, yes, please.
unidentified		Thank you.
		Going back to the issue of Voice of America and like global engagement media, the State Department was very active fighting disinformation, especially through the Global Engagement Center.
		They were very important in unveiling Russian state disinformation campaigns, Portal Combat and others in the previous administration.
		I wanted to ask you if the Global Engagement Center is still active.
		How concerned are you that RT, Sputnik News, all that Russian disinformation outlets are going to be countered now without American state media to counter their narratives or what they have been doing in the past years?
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		Thank you.
		Well, that is a stretch here, and I've mentioned this on Wednesday, that we do have a lot of very familiar structures and systems that are changing.
		And that doesn't mean that the work stops.
		It means that the efforts and the outreach and the engagement will look different, perhaps.
		But our values and what has informed the United States of America from day one through all of this time hasn't changed.
		And it's why we remain the greatest and the strongest country in the world.
		We can have these conversations.
		But while we're in the process of change in this fashion, it's the change of an administrative structure regarding taxpayer dollars as we assess is the money we're spending does it align with the values, with the agenda of the Trump administration that the American people overwhelmingly voted for to get things done.
		And it doesn't mean burning the house down.
		It means looking at how we can make it better, what needs to be changed, what needs to be reformed, so that we can spend money in a smarter, more efficient way.
		So yes, certain entities, certain buildings will be housed differently.
		Certain attitudes will perhaps change.
		But the goals and the attitude and the values of the United States not only haven't changed, they've been highlighted by the election of Donald Trump, a man who has brought back the notion of the idea that any American should be forgotten, that there should be no forgotten man or woman, that we have a responsibility to the world, but not in participating and facilitating wars, in doing things new and in a different way.
		And that includes within the structure of this government and how we apply our values.
		So I would argue that this is not a retreat.
		Quite the opposite.
		This is a preparation to continue the work in a smarter, stronger way.
		All right, we'll take one more question.
		Yes, Alex.
unidentified		Thank you so much, Jeffy.
		If I could just follow up on my colleagues' questions, could you take us through the choreography of this weekend at these technical talks?
		Is it over multiple days?
		How are they dividing up the two different countries?
		And then I'll have a follow-up on the Taliban question as well.
		Yes, this is held very close.
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		This is all very serious, and so I'm not going to answer the details of how it's unfolding.
		When this is complete, I will pursue the nature of getting some answers and the specifics for that for you.
		And I do believe one thing I can say is, like with everything with President Trump and Secretary Rubio, things happen quickly.
		So I would suspect that we will have answers on this very soon.
unidentified		Thank you.
		And then in terms of just the Taliban, and that was an unusual meeting.
		It wasn't just Adam Bowler, who's in charge of getting hostages out, but he was joined by Zalmei Khalilza.
		Does he have a formal role within the Trump administration?
		And Palestinian American billionaire Bashar al-Masri was also there.
		Can you clarify both their roles?
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		Yes, there is no one with an official government role, the gentleman you mentioned.
		This is certainly not a negotiation.
		There was no swap made.
		There was no thing given to accomplish this.
		As a matter of fact, other hostages from Afghanistan were released on the day of Trump's inauguration, so a little bit after noon on the 20th.
		So I think this is, in addition to terrific envoys who know how to handle this situation, it is also the impact of a strong America led by a man who is known to do what he needs to do to accomplish his mission.
		And that is, I think, often an unusual situation.
		So I hope that answers your question.
unidentified		Why were they there that they don't have officials?
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		Well, I can't speculate on that.
		That's something, though, at some point.
		But I certainly am not in a position to speculate about why they were.
		Yes, ma'am, the white jacket, and then that's going to be it for today.
		I appreciate it.
unidentified		Sure.
		After the Istanbul Mayor Imam Olus arrested this week, there are indications that the Turkish government is now cancelling the main opposition party's latest party convention and will appoint a trustee for the main opposition.
		What is the U.S. government's reaction to this?
		Because there are opinion reports mentioning that this operation came right after President Trump and Erdogan's phone call.
		Is there still an internal legal process matter in your view?
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		What's your outlet again, by the way?
unidentified		Hot TV, Turkish.
unidentified		Oh, great, great.
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		Welcome aboard.
		Well, I can tell you a few things.
		First, we're following the events in Turkey, as you might imagine, including the reported detention of the Istanbul mayor and a large number of municipal employees, journalists, and other individuals.
		We would refer you to the government of Turkey for comments on internal judicial matters.
		And of course, it is worth reiterating that Turkey, it's important that Turkey protect the freedoms and human rights of all of its citizens consistent with the country's constitution and in line with our shared values and democratic traditions.
unidentified		There was more corruption charges you may have facing, of course, but how about appointing a trustee for the main opposition?
unidentified		Do we have anything on that?
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		Well, if that is going to come up, it's not, again, my place to discuss it or to surmise or to hypothesize either.
		I think that's going to be it for today.
		All right, everybody, we will be back on Monday.
		We will have our briefing on Monday and Friday next week.
unidentified		All right.
tammy bruce ▲ ● ▼		Thank you, everybody.
		Thanks for being here.
		It's a beautiful day out there.
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		Today, Independent Senator Bernie Sanders and Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasia-Cortez host a rally in Denver, part of Senator Sanders' tour of congressional districts that were narrowly won by Republicans.
		They're expected to discuss their economic policy agenda and what they say is the rise of authoritarianism in America.
		Watch live at 7 p.m. Eastern on C-SPAN.
		C-SPAN Now, our free mobile video app, or online at c-span.org.
		Today, watch C-SPAN 2 for a special 24-hour New Members of Congress Marathon, featuring more than 60 of our exclusive interviews with the newest members of the 119th Congress.
		We recently spoke with Republicans and Democrats about their early lives, previous careers, families, and why they ran for office.
		My mother graduated in 1970 from one of the last segregated high schools in the state and the country rather in South Carolina.
		And I think about all of the opportunities that weren't afforded her, you know, coming out of segregation.
		And I bring that perspective to Oregon.
addison mcdowell ▲ ● ▼		In 2016, we lost my little brother Luke to a fentanyl overdose, fentanyl that is here and shouldn't have been.
unidentified		And so we lost my little brother.
ken cuccinelli ▲ ● ▼		He was 20 years old, and it was tragic.
addison mcdowell ▲ ● ▼		And I tell people it's like losing an arm and having to go through life without something that should be there that's not.
ken cuccinelli ▲ ● ▼		So it drove me to do this and to run for Congress.
unidentified		That's why I'm here.
		Watch the New Members of Congress Marathon all day today on C-SPAN 2.
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		Next, NCAA President Charlie Baker talks about sports and student athletes and touches on a lawsuit to allow students to monetarily benefit from their name, image, and likeness, or NIL.

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