Tammy Bruce (00:00):
Who was outside recently? Yes, it was raining. The flowers think it's a beautiful day. All right you guys. Yes. Thank you very much. Yes, a couple of announcements here as we begin. To begin, today the State Department issued a security alert warning Americans against travel to Venezuela and bordering areas for any reason. Americans who traveled to Venezuela or nearby border regions risk being wrongfully detained in prison for months or even years. I cannot emphasize enough the gravity of this warning. More U.S. nationals are currently wrongfully detained in Venezuela than in any other country. President Trump has obtained freedom for several Americans wrongfully detained in Venezuela since taking office most recently last week. And we continue to do everything we can to secure the freedom of the remaining Americans wrongfully detained in Venezuela. We need to ensure that no additional Americans are falling into this trap. Our simple message for Americans, do not travel to Venezuela. The Secretary's highest priority is the safety and security of the American people. And thank you everyone, especially everyone listening at home for heeding this warning.
(01:21)
Now turning to Syria. There have been several major steps over the weekend to enact President Trump's vision of a prosperous Middle East and a stable Syria at peace with itself and its neighbors. U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye, Thomas Barrack assumed the role of U.S. special envoy to Syria and he met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and foreign minister Asaad al-Shaibani in Istanbul. We also have taken significant steps to lift sanctions against Syria. On Friday, Secretary Rubio waived Caesar Act sanctions for 180 days. And the U.S. Treasury Department announced general license 25 and other relief measures. We are engaging with regional and global partners to open investment in Syria. The cessation of sanctions against Syria will advance our primary objective, the enduring defeat of ISIS, by giving the people of Syria a chance for a better future. The United States will remain focused on the mission to defeat ISIS and eliminating terrorists who threaten Americans. And that is our announcement. Some very good news. Obviously many of us, we've all been talking about this from the beginning of my being at this podium, so it's a pleasure to give you some more specifics. And of course with special envoy Barrack, I think we're in very, very good hands. Let's start surprisingly with Matt Lee.
Matt Lee (02:46):
Thank you Tammy. I want to ask about Gaza, but do you know of the top of your head or is it written down someplace, how many Americans are currently designated as wrongfully detained in Venezuela?
Tammy Bruce (02:59):
Yes, those are numbers that we will not share. That's a dynamic that we consider of course an important diplomatic dynamic as well as a national security dynamic. So no, I won't be giving you those numbers.
Matt Lee (03:15):
All right. On Gaza, what is the situation there as you understand it with the GHF and their first shipment or shipments in?
Tammy Bruce (03:27):
Yes. Well, last week we knew there were some numbers. We weren't able to give everybody some specific numbers, but I have some additional numbers for you as well. We have great news to report out of Gaza. I like being able to be asked about it and we can talk about the numbers that are going in. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation under the humanitarian principles of independence and impartiality has commenced providing lifesaving aid to the people of Gaza who desperately need it. Approximately 8,000 food boxes have been distributed so far. Each box feeds 5.5 people for three and a half days, totaling 462,000 meals. And so those are the kinds of numbers I think as we're looking at what's important in moving that kind of aid through the area.
Matt Lee (04:11):
Right. But there was apparently some incident or incidents today involving potentially shots being, at least warning shots being fired and hundreds of-
Tammy Bruce (04:23):
Yes, Hamas still has weapons. Hamas is in a situation here where all of this could have stopped of course, if they had released the hostages and put down there were weapons, but they refuse to do so. They've also rejected ceasefires. So that's without confirming what might be gossip or single reports. The fact of the matter is Hamas has been opposed to this dynamic. They have attempted to stop the aid movement through Gaza to these distribution centers. They have failed, but they certainly tried. The bottom line is, the real story here is that the aid is moving through and in that kind of environment it's not surprising that there might be a few issues involved. But the good news is that those seeking to get aid to the people of Gaza, which is not Hamas, have succeeded.
Matt Lee (05:11):
And last one really briefly, I won't take up any more time-
Tammy Bruce (05:16):
That's why I'm here.
Matt Lee (05:16):
But my understanding is that the administration is not particularly happy with the position that the UN and its agencies have taken with regard to these shipments. Is that correct?
Tammy Bruce (05:26):
Well, it is… From the very beginning I had mentioned, and we had heard about the resistance by certain NGOs and the UN. It is unfortunate because the issue here is getting aid to Gazans, and then suddenly it moves into complaints about style or the nature of who's doing it or elements of administration and being opposed to a getting food and aid as we've demonstrated here is happening and will continue to happen because someone might feel left out is I think the height of hypocrisy. So the bottom line is that clearly people who care about the nature of solving this problem are taking action and moving it forward. And that's what counts. That's what matters.
Matt Lee (06:15):
Thank you.
Tammy Bruce (06:16):
Yes. Andrea.
Andrea (06:16):
[inaudible 00:06:17].
Tammy Bruce (06:17):
Yes, ma'am.
Andrea (06:18):
Cindy McCain of the World Food Program was on CBS yesterday with a very different narrative. And we are hearing from the ground today from our reporters and producers and camera crews that this incident was very serious, that it was not Hamas-related. Cindy McCain said that Hamas is not breaking up the food deliveries, that people are starving and there are food riots because people are desperate. And the criticism of the GHF has been that it is not independent or impartial, that it was started by the Netanyahu government with people who were supposedly independent and that it is only operating in the south, deliberately designed with four distribution points in the south in order to have people in the north move south for the aid and therefore accelerate the movement of people, and putting people in the south rather than in the north where they wanted to be. So there were a lot of controversies about this from the ground, from all of our reporting.
(07:26)
McCain said that no one had approached the World Food Program, which is still delivering food into Gaza, that people have been desperate, no one had… She had met with, as you know, secretary. She said she welcomed that, was grateful for it, that the Rubio and McCain families have been friends for decades, but that they had a frank conversation about what's happening between Israel and the food deliveries and that no one had even told them about this foundation or given them or had coordinated with them in any way.
Tammy Bruce (07:58):
So this is where again, there's certainly… This is something the world is watching, something we've all cared about getting resolved. It is not an uncomplicated situation. This is however the first delivery of major aid, if not the only aid we've been hearing for months. I wish that Cindy McCain had spoken up, that they had found a way to move food into Gaza because that certainly hadn't been conveyed to us, which if that's the case, that's great. What I do know is that the people on the ground now, as the number I told you, I think is rather significant, 462,000 meals. That's what we're focused on.
(08:41)
I'm not going to address either gossip or complaints or people who knew or weren't included or would do it a different way or who's shooting at whom. That Hamas, it's not Hamas… The real story here, the story is that aid and food is moving into Gaza at a massive scale at this point. When you're looking at 8,000 food boxes. Was this going to be like going to the mall or through a drive-thru? No, it wasn't. This is a complicated environment and the story is the fact that it's working. I find it difficult that there are people who would go on television shows to complain about a process that is working and moving food into the area.
Andrea (09:25):
Tammy, one follow-up, please.
Tammy Bruce (09:26):
Would it improve over time? Would anything that we do improve over time? Yes, in all likelihood. And I think anyone would welcome someone like Mrs. McCain or anyone else who has a method within which to contribute to this effort, to be able to do so instead of going on television and complaining.
Andrea (09:44):
Tammy, one follow-up, please.
Tammy Bruce (09:46):
The real story is that this is succeeding and I think we should all at least have the courage to embrace that.
Andrea (09:52):
But until now, there has been a blockade, a blockade by Israel of the food. So no one has been able to get through those [inaudible 00:10:01].
Tammy Bruce (10:01):
Well, I thought you just said that Cindy McCain said that she was able to do that, but I would also say that this process managed to overcome that dynamic and the dynamic has changed. Whatever it was that was hindering the nature-
Andrea (10:15):
It is blocking it.
Tammy Bruce (10:15):
…of aid to the Gazan people has been overcome. It clearly needs to expand. I don't speak for this foundation, but clearly we've got to welcome any dynamic that allows getting aid and food into the region, which is happening right now. And that's the story. Nadia.
Nadia (10:33):
Thank you, Tammy. Two questions. I understand this is the beginning of a process. For the time being, the delivery of food is at two places, which is Tel al-Sultan and the Morag Crossing. Is this any guarantee that people who come from the north to receive this food, are they allowed to go back? Because that's the fear that basically this is a way to move the population from the north to the south. And do you have any plan that they will expand it to go to other places in the north?
Tammy Bruce (11:01):
Well, it's not this… Again, this is not a State Department effort. We don't have a plan. I can't answer that regarding the nature of how certain situations would be responded to. I'm not going to speculate or say what they should or should not do. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has an email, they should be reached out to, and that's what I'd recommend regarding plans to expand, plans to make assessments of what's worked and what hasn't at this point and what changes they might make and what the goal is. Clearly the goal is to reach as many people as possible. Yes, sir. Go ahead please.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
The Israeli minister of strategic affairs is in town, according to Israeli media, has there been any meeting between him and Secretary Rubio? And can you update us on the state of talks between Iran and the U.S.? Is there a new meeting planned ahead?
Tammy Bruce (11:54):
Well, I will not discuss, as you might imagine, any meetings or conversations secretary's having
Tammy Bruce (12:00):
That are not public, or may or may not be happening. Regarding the latest rounds of talks regarding Iran, we can tell you that Senior Advisor and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, of course, and Policy Planning Director Michael Anton, participated in a fifth round of talks with Iran on Friday, May 23rd in Rome. The discussions were both direct and indirect, and lasted over two hours. The talks continue to be constructive, and that's not something that we've been able to say that in these particular talks, which is beneficial, and in this case they were constructive as well, and we made further progress. Both sides have agreed to meet again in the near future and we are grateful to, once again, our Omani partners for their continued facilitation of the process. All right. Yes, dear?
Speaker 2 (12:50):
Just to follow up upon the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, I think you talked about independence and neutrality that was involved in this new foundation, but I mean, quite clearly that's not the case. I mean, the IDF itself has said this has been done in coordination with it and the foundation, so it's clearly being done and the security of it is carried out by, on the perimeter, Israeli forces and then American security contractors. The problem with that, and what the experts in the United Nations say is that you therefore have a situation where the aid is provided by an organization that seemed to be a party to the conflict, and that's what the UN has always avoided because you potentially made the recipients targets, and we're seeing that already potentially in that this has become a very militarized form of aid. So I'm just interested in why you described this as independent and neutral when it clearly doesn't appear to be so.
Tammy Bruce (13:45):
Well, again, I don't speak for this foundation. What I can tell you is the description of the nature of what they're accomplishing, which is getting food and aid into that region. I'll say that just one more time. Clearly there are some disagreements about how that's being handled, how that's being implemented, but I think that most of us would agree that this is good news, that in any other mechanism, under any other expectation was not able to accomplish this. So it's-
Speaker 2 (14:15):
It's just that there was another mechanism that was able to accomplish this and more, which was the United Nations, which was-
Tammy Bruce (14:22):
You're right. We did have a really good mechanism. It was called a ceasefire, which Hamas broke and it is a ceasefire and a plan that had been operating and offered, which they continually refused to accept, continued to hold hostages as they still continue to not just hold hostages, but the bodies of the people that they've murdered and they've refused to do the one thing that could stop this in a moment. They refused. So we did. It was a ceasefire. Special Envoy Witkoff, very successful, and Hamas decided, "Well, that was just too much of that." So the real story here is that there's food aid going in. There'll be people, of course, who will look at some of the details and not like it, but then I think it shows us the priorities of certain individuals when it comes to, at first it was, "Let's get these people fed," and now it's seems to be something else in the meantime. Yes, sir. Go ahead.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
Thank you, Tammy. [inaudible 00:15:20].
Tammy Bruce (15:20):
Wait. No, sir. Oh, I'm sorry. I don't know who's speaking, but go ahead.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
Thank you, Tammy. Last week I asked you a question about the deals signed between the Kurdistan Regional Government and two US firms.
Tammy Bruce (15:33):
You know what? We need to turn his microphone up and you've got to keep your head up.
Speaker 3 (15:36):
I'll repeat the question.
Tammy Bruce (15:36):
Keep your head up.
Speaker 3 (15:38):
Last week I ask you a question about the recent deals signed between the Kurdistan Region Government and two US firms. They [inaudible 00:15:45], and you encouraged Baghdad to work with Erbil to resolve the issues. But this week the Iraqi oil ministry has filed lawsuits against the two deals with the American firms. So any reaction to that and how this impacts the US firm's incentive to invest in the region? And I have another question regarding-
Tammy Bruce (16:03):
Yes. Yes. Last week we discussed some of the difficulties here, but as I said last week, worth repeating today with this new news is that the United States supports economic deals that benefit all Iraqis, including the two announced last week. We encourage Baghdad and Erbil to work together to expand domestic gas production as soon as possible. These types of economic partnerships will benefit both the American and Iraqi peoples and help Iraq move toward energy independence. US oil companies have invested billions of dollars in the Iraqi Kurdistan region's oil sector. We hope to see additional investment from US oil companies throughout Iraq. We know of course, last week, the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, met with Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani in Washington, also on Friday, May 23rd. Busy day here. Secretary Rubio and Prime Minister Barzani discussed opportunities to further increase trade and investment between the United States and the Iraqi Kurdistan region.
(17:07)
Secretary commended the Prime Minister for finalizing deals with US companies to expand natural gas production in the IKR, which will help Iraq move toward energy independence. The Secretary and Prime Minister discussed their mutual interests in protecting the rights of religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq and Syria. The Secretary also reaffirmed US support for a strong and resilient IKR as a foundational pillar of the relationship that the United States enjoys with Iraq. We also believe that US and Iraqi interests are best served by having a strong resilient Iraqi Kurdistan region within a sovereign and prosperous federal Iraq, and we continue to support US companies doing business in all of Iraq, including trade and investment between the United States and the IKR. As far as the nature of the lawsuits, again, obviously we are looking forward to continuing these kinds of deals. We expect these kinds of deals to flourish and would hope that they would be facilitated. Bu again, we got to underscore the importance of an independent and energy-independent region, and this is one way that we're going to be able to do it.
Speaker 3 (18:28):
Another question on Iraq and separate issue. Do you confirm if there's any US involvement in any negotiations with Iraq to release Elizabeth Tsurkov, an Israeli-Russian academic kidnapped nearly two years ago in Baghdad? Has the Israeli government requested assistance from the US government in this regard?
Tammy Bruce (18:50):
Some reports regarding an exchange discussed. Those reports are categorically false, although we remain committed to existing discussions regarding her, and we have and will continue to underscore with the Iraqi government the urgency of securing her release. That is Elizabeth Tsurkov's release. All right. Yes?
Speaker 5 (19:12):
Two questions. Today in Turkey, Foreign Minister Lavrov suggested there was some sort of prisoner exchange deal between Presidents Putin and Trump. Is there any light you can shed onto that?
Tammy Bruce (19:22):
No, there's nothing. I have nothing to report to you about that. Not at all.
Speaker 5 (19:24):
Separately, there is reporting that the administration may require all foreign students to undergo social media vetting and that embassies and consulates are pausing interviews for new student visas according to a cable from Secretary Rubio. Is that accurate and do you have any other information?
Tammy Bruce (19:41):
Well, if you are discussing that, that's something that has not been discussed publicly. It would have to be leaked material if it exists. What I can remind everyone of which we've discussed for months here is that we use every tool in our tool chest to vet anyone coming in who wants to come into this country, and in order to do so, it has to apply for a visa to gain access to our nation. So every sovereign country has a right to know who's trying to come in, why they want to come in, who they are, what they've been doing, and at least hopefully within that framework, determine what they will be doing while they're here. So that's nothing new and we will continue to use every tool we can to assess who it is that's coming here, whether they are students or otherwise. All right. Yes, go ahead.
Speaker 6 (20:38):
Can I switch to Russia, Tammy? After the Istanbul talk, Secretary Rubio said he didn't believe they were a waste of time because the Russians were going to be putting forward this proposal for potential ceasefire and to the war. The Russians still have not given the US that proposal. So do you still believe that this wasn't a waste of time and when is the US going to actually levy these sanctions that have been warned about and perhaps walk away from negotiations?
Tammy Bruce (21:00):
Well, you've seen I'm sure President Trump's tweets. He is the one who recently spoke directly to President Putin and is the one whose vision of diplomacy of getting these wars to stop across the globe, but certainly that one, can be arranged. He's been very optimistic. He has. And as we've seen over the last few days, including this morning, the President has been very blunt about his opinion about President Putin. What I can say is that… Also, by the way, which has generated, I think the President's ire and all of our extreme concern are the attacks resulting in civilian casualties in Ukraine. The President has said many times this has to stop. We are monitoring reports that this weekend's airstrikes by Russia constituted the largest aerial assault on Ukraine since the start of the war. Obviously our thoughts, prayers, and awareness sits with the victims and their families. We are calling for restraint and urge all parties to avoid further escalation.
(22:09)
We continue to support direct talks between Russia and Ukraine. The President supports any mechanism that leads to a just, durable and lasting peace. Any mechanism. There is no military solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and a diplomatic solution is necessary. I will… For those who did not see the President's statement indicating the extremity of his concern from last night, just as the top, "I've always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He is needlessly killing a lot of people and I'm not just talking about soldiers. Missiles and drones are being shot into cities in Ukraine for no reason whatsoever." And that goes on, and that's from his Truth Social account. And this morning he noted, "What Vladimir Putin does not realize is that if it weren't for me, lots of really, really bad things would've already happened in Russia. And I mean really bad. He's playing with fire."
Speaker 6 (23:15):
Sorry. One quick follow-up, Tammy. The Germans say the US has lifted all of its restrictions on the use of long-range weapons. Can you confirm that and when was that-
Tammy Bruce (23:23):
I'm not going to discuss that. No, I'm not going to confirm that. Yes?
Speaker 4 (23:26):
Thanks, Tammy. On that memorandum for peace that Russia's supposed to be coming up with, was there a timeline ever set for when Russia needed to hand that over? Do you see this as a delayed tactic stalling direct talk?
Tammy Bruce (23:37):
Well, again, I can't speak to what the agreement would've been if there was a timeline. I can't share that information. I think clearly you should look to the President's sentiment that he's made very public as to indicate whether or not he's satisfied with what they've done. Yes, sir. In the back.
Speaker 3 (23:55):
Let me follow up on that question and get your reaction to Russia's response to the President's tweets, calling it,
Tammy Bruce (24:05):
I'm not going to speak about the president's emotions, but I think one reason why he was elected with a mandate last year is that we can all relate to him. He's transparent. He's doing something he cares passionately about. He knows what he wants to accomplish. He inherited a world that was on fire and is determined to stop those things. We've heard his remarks about all of this clearly indicating a personal interest in the nature of what is occurring. And I think that that's what we all appreciate about him. If the Russians cared about the nature of how this is proceeding, they would be thinking less about that and more about what they could do, which is in their hands to stop the carnage and the slaughter that's happening right now. And so it's, I think, pretty clear where both sides are at this point.
Speaker 7 (24:59):
And given the president's public frustration of Putin, is it fair to expect some immediate policy adjustments?
Tammy Bruce (25:05):
I wouldn't call it frustration. It is a statement of the man who has led the effort for peace in so many different regions, making it clear and being completely transparent about his opinion about what's transpired. And I think that is something Russia should take seriously. Americans certainly do, and there are… As I've mentioned last week, that there are many different things that the President has at his disposal to make sure that our position is felt and that can be used to make an impact to stop this carnage. Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
King Charles has been speaking to the Canadian Parliament in the last few hours saying that, "Canada faces another critical moment and is determined to protect democracy, self-determination, freedom. The true north is indeed strong and free." And that's being seen by many as a clear endorsement of Canada's sovereignty or rejection of the idea of it being the 51st state. Do you endorse his sentiments?
Tammy Bruce (26:09):
I am a fan of Prince Charles, King Charles and of Prince William and Princess Kate. I think they're a great family. That's it. Yes. John, go ahead.
Speaker 8 (26:23):
If you don't mind, let me go back to the student visa issue. Leaving aside the issue of the cable, the secretary himself has said that the vast majority of students in the country, foreign students have done nothing wrong. They shouldn't be worried about their visas. They're welcome to study at American universities. People going to universities this fall, foreign students, should they be concerned that their visas won't be processed in time? Do you think that there…? Is the State Department confident that people could still go, can still attend autumn semesters?
Tammy Bruce (26:49):
Well, this is… Every dynamic… And again, we don't speak about individual visa cases. We don't speak about the nature of the choices made about individuals. We do know though that we take very seriously the process of vetting who it is that comes into the country, and we're going to continue to do that. We're going to continue to vet and we continue to have an interest. And again, whether they be student or if you're a tourist who needs a visa or whoever you are, we're going to be looking at you. I think why that would… It seems to be such a controversial thing that's going on, but it shouldn't be, and every nation should take seriously and does who's coming in. So if you're going to be applying for a visa, follow the normal process, the normal steps, expect to be looked at, and we go on from there.
Speaker 8 (27:39):
And processing delays, do you expect students applying now to come across any kind of-?
Tammy Bruce (27:44):
Again, I can't speak to their individual experiences but of course, it seems like the nature of the reaction to this is that… I can't… We've always vetted people trying to come in. We've always looked at visas seriously. It's why we have a visa so that you can stop and look at someone. So I can't speak about what the individual experience will be, but the fact is that everyone knows that we are… It's a reminder certainly that we're taking it seriously.
Speaker 9 (28:10):
Can I just follow up-?
Tammy Bruce (28:11):
Yes, go ahead. Certainly.
Speaker 9 (28:13):
And you just said it, there is a vetting process for anybody who's coming in the country, but what is different now? Is there a new criteria, a new mechanism? What's different?
Tammy Bruce (28:22):
Well, yes, in addition to not discussing for privacy reasons and a whole host of other reasons, discussing individual visa processes with an individual, but we also don't talk about the methods. We're not going to lay out here with the media the nature of the steps that are taken, the methods that we use. That would seem to be a little bit counterproductive perhaps. But it is a goal, as stated by the President and Secretary Rubio, to make sure that people who are here are here and understand what the law is, that they don't have any criminal intent, that they are going to be contributors to the experience here, however short or long their stay is. So the details of which I won't reveal, but it's one that will hopefully achieve our understanding of who deserves to visit this country and who does not.
Speaker 9 (29:14):
And just on Gaza, if I may?
Tammy Bruce (29:16):
Of course.
Speaker 9 (29:20):
To say it mildly, there were some challenges today delivering the aid parcels to Gaza. If there are more challenges of this sort or if these challenges intensify, what do you expect? Is there a plan B? Does it stop? Does it-?
Tammy Bruce (29:34):
Contact the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Again, I know it can be… It's difficult in that this is something that we've all hoped for and have wanted to help see succeed, but the fact is this is not a State Department project or effort. So we're not in a position to make that declaration. And even really speculating… The people who've done this clearly want to do it. They want it to succeed, and I think addressing this with them might be very useful. Yes, Saeed.
Speaker 11 (30:05):
Thank you very much. Just how can one contact the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation? This seems to be the gripe-
Tammy Bruce (30:13):
I don't think anyone would appreciate if I gave out an email right here from the podium. I think there's a thing called the internet, and you can type them in and you will get an email address. I think most of you are reporters. I think a number of you understand research and the typing in of the interweb tubes, which will give you that information, sir.
Speaker 11 (30:35):
Okay. Just a quick follow-up on two points. Now, the gripe with the United Nations is that not knowing who this organization is and who stands behind it, who's going to finance it and so on. They also say that there are very sparse or couple of entry points and so on. They need more entry points.
Tammy Bruce (30:53):
Yes. Everyone has an opinion. I understand that. What I do know too is for the first time ever, Saeed, with your very well-founded concern, I can tell you that over almost half a million meals have been delivered into that region. I am pleased to be able to say that to you without dealing with someone or an entity or a group that isn't entirely happy because it's not absolutely perfect or because they would have done it differently, but we finally have that happening. Yes, sir, in the back right there… I don't… With the great hair. You've got great hair, but no. Yes, sir. You. You're doing it.
Speaker 12 (31:32):
I don't have gray hair.
Tammy Bruce (31:33):
No, I'm not… That's why I'm not pointing at you. I think you probably do. Thank you. All right.
Speaker 12 (31:36):
I have no hair.
Tammy Bruce (31:36):
Well, there you go.
Speaker 13 (31:36):
It's me. Okay. Just can you confirm either-?
Tammy Bruce (31:36):
No, no, not I'm saying not you.
Speaker 14 (31:36):
A lot of people over here have hair.
Tammy Bruce (31:36):
Not you. Sir, speak out.
Andrea (31:49):
I can make it clear very much. Thank you. Sorry. Sorry.
Tammy Bruce (31:50):
No, it's all right. If you wait, they run right by you.
Andrea (31:53):
Right, yes.
Tammy Bruce (31:53):
All right. What's your name, sir? And what outlet?
Andrea (31:55):
[inaudible 00:31:58].
Tammy Bruce (31:58):
All right.
Andrea (31:58):
Thank you.
Tammy Bruce (31:59):
Welcome aboard.
Andrea (32:00):
Thank you very much. As you've said just earlier today, the world has been shocked by what's happened in Gaza over the past few days. The silhouette of a little girl-
Tammy Bruce (32:07):
Well, I said it's been… Obviously, it's been shocked over generations about what's been happening in Gaza.
Andrea (32:10):
Sure, absolutely. Absolutely.
Tammy Bruce (32:12):
And that Hamas certainly has refused to stop that violence. But go ahead.
Andrea (32:18):
But just in the past few days, we've seen the silhouette of a little girl trying to flee burning classrooms surrounding her, killing people around her. We've seen thousands of Palestinians starved by Israel's blockade, herded between fences as they try to get fed today, a doctor who saw nine of her children killed by Israeli bombs. All the while this administration, of course, as we've seen, has sought to deport students who protest this, including one student who wrote an op-ed against this kind of behavior. The administration came in telling Americans it would be more pro-peace, more anti-war than previous-
Tammy Bruce (32:49):
This is beginning to sound like a soliloquy, sir. Do you have a question, please? Do you have a question?
Andrea (32:54):
I'm curious-
Tammy Bruce (32:54):
Yes. This is a very serious issue and everyone has your question.
Andrea (32:57):
Yes, yes.
Tammy Bruce (32:58):
So please ask it.
Andrea (32:59):
I wonder how you see this administration being more pro-peace or more anti-war than the previous administration given these kinds of horrors that Americans are witnessing.
Tammy Bruce (33:08):
Yes. Well, it is a dynamic where, as I also just mentioned a little bit ago, we did achieve a ceasefire, something which nobody thought would be possible after the heinousness of October 7th. The nature of what had occurred on that day, the fact that there has to be a new way the President has stated, we have to have new ideas to make a difference so this stops and doesn't go from generation to generation, which all of us have experienced. It's wash, rinse, and repeat over and over and over again every 20 years, and it would never stop. I think that what we've got here is after, I don't know, what has it been three months, a bit over a hundred days of President Trump managing to get, I think, every warring party, every hostile party against other people on this planet to a table to stop. Now, that's the simple part. Making things happen and making it last is another thing.
(34:06)
Hamas, we did have a ceasefire, and then Hamas decided once again that that was just not going to do and they continue to do what they do. First of all, again, regarding the particular issues over the last few days, we call on all parties to this conflict to take every feasible measure to mitigate civilian harm. We refer you to Israel for more information on its airstrikes, and we also know, as we all do, and this is one of the things that we've discovered time and time again, that Hamas uses hospitals and other humanitarian areas as human shields. This is why we continue to try to get a ceasefire done despite the obstacles that Hamas constantly presents. It is apparently their hope that we would just give up and go away, or that the usual status quo would continue. But President Trump is not that person. He's a person who gets it done and after decades of conflict… I understand you're frustrated after maybe three months of it not being perfect yet, but that is what we are going for. We will continue to work for this. It is President Trump's commitment. Yes, Eric, please. Eric. Eric, go ahead, please.
Speaker 10 (35:16):
Thank you, Tammy, for the question. I wanted to ask you, the end of last week, we reported and you began-
Tammy Bruce (35:22):
And you're at Bloomberg for those watching who don't know. Go ahead.
Speaker 10 (35:25):
You began the conversation today, or excuse me, the briefing today with a reference to Venezuela and to the challenges faced by Americans in Venezuela, the repression of the Venezuelan regime.
Tammy Bruce (35:40):
Correct.
Speaker 10 (35:42):
The license for Chevron to produce oil in Venezuela expired yesterday. Our reporting is that there's a very narrow license for basic maintenance to make sure that equipment that's in the country doesn't become completely unusable, so that
Speaker 10 (36:00):
… one day if there's a change of government, it might be possible to drill and produce again. This is a license that would have to come from the administration. Do you have anything on that as far as whether that's been granted?
Tammy Bruce (36:11):
Well, no, I can't speak to that at all. But what I can say is actually your timeline on the Chevron license is wrong. It's tonight at 11:59.
Speaker 10 (36:19):
Okay. Gotcha.
Tammy Bruce (36:19):
So this is the last hurrah here. That will expire at 11:59 this evening.
Speaker 10 (36:26):
Okay.
Tammy Bruce (36:26):
What we can say of course, also, is that just to be very specific, we… Beyond the warning of course to Americans, is that we will not allow any money to move to the Maduro regime that assists their regime. We are, of course, very conscious of the dynamic regarding, as we discussed earlier, as you noted, those who are held wrongfully in Venezuela. But we also are going to make sure that, as the secretary made clear last week, that this license expires. That of course is going to be felt. And we also know that the president's instructions to Secretary Rubio, that he took steps of course to terminate all Biden-era oil and gas licenses that benefited Maduro's regime and lined the pockets of his cronies, we are going to continue to deny any funding of the Maduro regime that it uses to oppress the Venezuelan people. So I hope that answers both of those questions.
(37:45)
Yes, sir.
Speaker 10 (37:45):
Thank you.
Speaker 15 (37:45):
[inaudible 00:37:46] come back to Gaza specifically, because tomorrow the, Germany's foreign minister is going to be here and meeting with the secretary. Germany's government has kind of shifted quite a lot in the last few days on their position of support for Israel. They've been alongside the US, one of the main backers of Israel in this war. And now they're saying, the chancellor's saying that the war in Gaza is no longer justified by the need to fight Hamas. So it seems like that whatever coalition was left of countries including the US backing Israel seems to be getting smaller. Are you concerned that there's even less international support for Israel? Does that influence the way that the US is thinking about this, that one of the main European countries backing Israel is backing [inaudible 00:38:35]?
Tammy Bruce (38:35):
Well, again, Chancellor Merz noting that Israel's actions can no longer be justified, the fact of the matter is that Hamas has put the people in Gaza in this situation by launching that attack on October 7th and by continuing to hold hostages, including the bodies of four Americans, and continue of course to maintain their weapons. So when we think about actions that can no longer be justified, I think we should adjust ourselves and look at what put us in this position in the first place.
(39:02)
Regarding the UK, Canada, France, and any number of others that took disappointing steps last week, unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state, in this case, is unproductive and obstructs ongoing US efforts towards peace in the region. And I think that there's a clear line that has been drawn by President Trump, which again definitely disturbs the status quo, which is that there has to be peace, not just for six months, not because there's been a deal made for a year, that this has to be enduring. The entire framework has to change.
(39:36)
He's not kidding. He's not kidding. Because otherwise, in five years or sooner someone will be in your position, someone else will definitely be in my position, having the same conversation. We can't allow that to continue. That is President Trump's understanding and vision of the change that needs to occur. And the fact is that the status quo does seem to be perhaps the easier thing to maintain, but it's not the one that's going to save lives.
(40:05)
All right. Yes, right there. Go ahead. Speak up. Yeah.
Speaker 16 (40:08):
Thank you, Tammy. President [inaudible 00:40:11]-
Tammy Bruce (40:11):
No. No, excuse me, sir.
Speaker 16 (40:12):
I'm sorry.
Speaker 10 (40:13):
Yes, that will get you not called on because you can tell I'm not looking at you. Go ahead, sir. Please.
Andrea (40:18):
Yeah, I have two questions. The first one is about Russia and Ukraine. We're seeing the secretary of state several times saying that the US are closing to stepping back in different ways. And we know the US did play several calls. So what can we expect if this is happening? It means providing more weapons to Ukraine in order to leverage with the Russian? Or just it means do nothing and let the European Union-
Tammy Bruce (40:47):
Well, President Trump and Secretary Rubio have said multiple times that this is not a war that can be solved through the military and through violence, that it has to be done diplomatically. At the same time, you've heard President Trump note that there has to be direct talks between the parties, direct talks between Russia and Ukraine. And also President Rubio's comments now for weeks that unless there was progress, that our approach would change, not our support for ceasefire or helping to achieve it, but the issue of mediating might adjust.
(41:24)
As of right now, of course, there's a lot that's in flux and President Putin is getting a sense of President Trump's anger at the nature of what's transpiring. But I think that it's clear that both parties need to begin to look at this situation in a direct way with each other to make the difference at this point.
Andrea (41:46):
And a follow-up, and on Gaza and Israel, is there a limit to President Trump patience, let's say, or he will…
Tammy Bruce (41:57):
I'm sure there is.
Andrea (41:57):
… keep letting, permit, I'm sorry, keep letting Prime Minister Netanyahu doing what he's doing in Gaza? Or President Trump at a certain point will say stop, let's sit down?
Tammy Bruce (42:11):
Well, if you see President Trump, you could ask him directly that. I'm not going to presume.
Andrea (42:15):
No, Secretary Rubio.
Tammy Bruce (42:16):
I'm not going to presume President Trump's frame of mind about what he's willing to do or won't do. This is a man who's serious about getting a situation finished, of getting a deal done, of ending the situation, which he is clearly confident it can end.
(42:31)
My assessment of what he would do, he is him for a reason. And I'm not him. And the last thing I think any of us want to do is second-guess the president, certainly in this case, President Trump. So he's also a human being even though sometimes he does more than what the average human being can do. But I feel that as we've seen today with Putin, that there is a point that he looks at things differently. And how that manifests just like with everything else in this administration, it will happen quickly. And that's what I've got for you today.
Andrea (43:09):
Thank you.
Tammy Bruce (43:09):
Thank you, everyone. Thank you. And I'll see you on Thursday. Happy ending of the Chevron license day. Happy ending. All right, thank you. Thank you. All right. That's it. Thank you.
