State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce held a press briefing on Tuesday.
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00:00How's everybody today? Looks like it's nice out there. Good. Thank you guys. I'm
00:10really hoping, even though these ladies have been allowed to bring their
00:12computers in again, that it won't be as exciting as Thursday. But we'll see.
00:19We'll see. Good. All right. Thank you, everybody. So a little bit of an update here, an announcement
00:30for you. A couple of announcements. The State Department has no higher priority than ensuring
00:41the safety and security of Americans, whether at home or abroad. To that end, President Trump
00:46has made it a priority to bring home Americans unjustly detained overseas. Yesterday, Secretary
00:52Rubio joined President Trump in welcoming home Ksenia Karolina to the Oval Office, who was
00:58wrongfully detained in Russia for over a year. In his first hundred days, the 47th President
01:04has secured the release of 47 unjustly held Americans. No administration has worked so
01:10hard or so quickly to bring home U.S. citizens imprisoned abroad. That is because of the leadership
01:15of President Trump, and we are committed to bringing home every single American who is
01:19wrongfully detained around the world.
01:21Secretary Rubio also joined President Trump in the Oval Office today for a meeting with
01:26the Canadian Prime Minister. During the meeting, Prime Minister Carney described the intention – his
01:31intention to increase Canada's defense spending, meeting President Trump's – exceeding President
01:39Trump's leadership there and the demand of what he was looking for. Nine years ago, most NATO
01:44allies were nowhere near spending 2 percent. Today, allies agreed that they must increase
01:49their defense spending, and every week more are announcing the increase – 18 countries,
01:54in fact, since the November election.
01:57The – let's see here. We've got now something very important I think most of you have heard
02:03about, certainly through the President as well. The President also announced in this meeting
02:07that the Houthis have capitulated following the administration's strikes. In the President's
02:14words, the Houthis have announced that they don't want to fight anymore. They just don't
02:19want to fight, and we will honor that, and we will stop the bombings. They say that they
02:24will not be blowing up ships anymore. As Secretary Rubio explained, this was always a freedom of navigation
02:31issue. These are a band of individuals with advanced weaponry that were threatening global shipping,
02:36shipping, and the job was to get that to stop, and if it's going to stop, then we can stop.
02:44There is also something now retweeted by Ambassador Witkoff's ex-account, I believe, noting that
02:53following recent discussions and contacts conducted by the Sultanate of Oman with the United States
02:59and the relevant authorities in Sana'a in the Republic of Yemen, with the aim of de-escalation,
03:04efforts have resulted in a ceasefire agreement between the two sides. So that's always a good
03:12thing. Now, in another important announcement, Secretary Rubio has decided to merge the responsibilities
03:18of the Office of the Palestinian Affairs Office fully into other sections of the United States
03:25Embassy in Jerusalem. This decision will restore the first Trump term framework of a unified U.S.
03:31diplomatic mission in Israel's capital that reports to the U.S. Ambassador to Israel. Ambassador Huckabee
03:38will take the steps necessary to implement the merger over the coming weeks. The United States
03:44remains committed to its historic relationship with Israel, bolstering Israel's security and securing peace
03:50to create a better life for the entire region. And now I will take your questions. Daphne.
03:58Thank you. On the ceasefire deal with the Houthis, could you get a sense of how the State Department
04:03was involved in this? What did U.S. engagement with Oman and the Houthis look like on this?
04:08Well, we've got some details. Again, I've noted to you what the Omanis have messaged. Again,
04:15retweeted by Ambassador Whitcoff. I can read you a little bit more here as well that gives you a few
04:20more details. In the future, they note, neither side will target the other, including American vessels
04:25in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, ensuring freedom of navigation and the smooth flow of
04:32international commercial shipping. The Sultanate of Oman expresses its gratitude to both parties
04:37and their constructive approach that led to this welcome outcome and hopes that it will lead
04:44to further progress on many regional issues toward achieving justice. So at that point, though,
04:50there's more that obviously you want to hear about, obviously some of the details, and I would expect
04:56I'll have more for that on that for you probably on Thursday's briefing. We'll look for it there.
05:01Andrea. Thank you. Can I follow up on that, please?
05:04Sure, of course.
05:06Does this ceasefire also extend to the Houthis not attacking Israel and Israel not attacking the
05:17Houthis as they have just today in retaliation for the attack by the Houthis against the area near
05:23Ben-Gurion just a few days ago?
05:26Well, and just looking at the President's remarks, looking at this particular message from the
05:31Omanis, this is about the Red Sea, the attacking of ships, and the nature of the action that the
05:36United States had taken, making it very clear at the time that this was not going to be a
05:40pinprick operation, that we were going to continue this operation until the Houthis stopped attacking
05:45shipping in that framework. That is what I've seen here, and that's all I can remark on.
05:51And Ambassador Whitcoff said last night at the Israeli Independence Day celebration that very, very shortly
05:58there would be announcements on expansion of the Abraham Accords. The President also today said that there
06:07would be a big announcement next week that was very positive, that he was just – my word – sort of teasing about it, but –
06:15I think it would be a classic, talking about something before it lands without giving too
06:22many details. That is certainly, of course, my situation here as well. But when the President
06:27says there's going to be a big announcement, I would take him seriously, and he would, of
06:32course, I think, put it that way in the fact that it's very good news for people.
06:35And what about Ambassador Whitcoff saying very, very shortly there would be an expansion of the Abraham Accords?
06:42Well, I will wait for the Secretary when it comes to the details of what's going to be described and
06:48announced in that regard. Of course, we know of the importance of the Abraham Accords, starting with
06:53the success in the first Trump term and what that meant for the region, something that no one ever
06:58thought would occur. Once again, Trump has a tendency to accomplish those kinds of things that make a huge
07:04difference for a long time. So I have nothing to report for you right now, but clearly it appears as
07:10though I will later on in the week. Nadia.
07:12Thank you. I want to follow up on Yemen. Despite the statement by the President and the
07:17Secretary on the ceasefire and also the Al-Mani Foreign Minister just confirmed it,
07:21the other side, which is the Houthis themselves, denied it. They're saying that we are not going to
07:28stop attacking the ships. So how do you explain that? Are they not
07:32receiving the buses? Or the claim for public consultation or what?
07:36I use – for my basis of who to listen to and who to take seriously, of course, is the
07:42President of the United States, Ambassador Wyckoff, the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. I think that,
07:48as what we've said, of course, also when it comes to other situations, is that we look to actions,
07:54not words. And clearly there's been development here that the President shared, and I think his
08:02words are the words that one needs to rely on. And the attack on the port of Sana'a. As you know,
08:07Sana'a now is completely out of service. Twenty million people are affected as a result. Was this
08:13attack coordinated with the United States or they – do you think this is more like a collective
08:18punishment against civilians in Yemen as well because they wouldn't be able to use that port anymore?
08:22Well, I certainly – you know, I would refer you to the DOD regarding any questions about American
08:29action, certainly with the operations that we've had against the Houthis and the shipping issue.
08:34But I can't speak to any action, of course, that Israel may have taken or the nature of any of that.
08:40But in regard to the rest of this, President Trump categorized this as some very good news
08:46that the Houthis announced again they don't want to fight anymore and that we will honor that
08:50and stop the bombing. He said they have capitulated. And again, we had a very specific framework there,
08:57but again, I'd refer you to the DOD in regard to that. Matt Lee, interested in the subject line?
09:02MR. Sure. I still just don't really understand what – I mean, if the Houthis have only agreed to
09:10stop attacking American vessels, and you guys have only agreed to stop attacking Houthi targets,
09:16that does not really fall into line with what Secretary Rubio has said, which is attacks on
09:22all international shipping in the Red Sea. Because the Houthis can still –
09:26Well, it was that venue. It was that arena regarding the Red Sea and the shipping within
09:30that –
09:30Right. I understand that. But if this is a deal that's just the U.S. and the Houthis,
09:34and no one else is included, and the Houthis are still going after French ships or German ships or
09:39Israeli ships or whoever – I don't – I'm not quite sure how this is anything other than you guys
09:45just saying, okay, we won, we're leaving, but terrorism and these attacks are still going on.
09:50MS. Well, I don't – I don't recall those lines being used. What I can say is that Secretary
09:54Rubio said this was always a freedom of navigation issue. And of course, our approach was the fact that
10:00they had struck ships hundreds of times, including our ships in that area. And this is one of the cases
10:06where we – again, a very transparent administration, a president who is speaking and will speak on
10:12what's happening, what he's planning, what we hope for, what he has heard. And I would take him at his
10:17word in that regard. Of course, Secretary Rubio was in the Oval Office at this point. I would encourage
10:23all of us – and I'm looking forward to it too – to getting more details on the nature of how it
10:29manifested. That always, of course, interests us. We have a sense here with what Ambassador Whitcoff tweeted,
10:34that Oman, of course, is involved, and that there's an understanding that this is moving forward.
10:40So we will no doubt have more information, and I think we'll have our answers when we do.
10:43Okay. And then –
10:44MS. Yes, ma'am.
10:44Wait, wait. Hold on, Amy. When this moves away from the Middle East, can you just – remember,
10:49I asked you if there was a reaction to the German chancellor election. So when we get to Europe,
10:53or whatever, can you –
10:54MS. Yeah. Matt, Matt, Matt. Thank you.
10:57Thanks.
10:58MS. Jillian.
10:59Off-topic, if I may, because I've got to leave in a moment.
11:01MS. Of course. I understand. Sure.
11:02A question on China. There's going to be a vote in the House tomorrow
11:07where members are going to have to kind of decide if they want to support Republican efforts to
11:15sort of push back against Chinese Communist Party influence in U.S. academia. Does Secretary Rubio have a
11:23position on deporting these students here that are, like, associated – it's called the Confucius
11:29Institute, as you know.
11:31MS. Yes. Well, I can't speak about that particular issue, but, of course,
11:36Secretary Rubio has made his position clear about the kinds of individuals who are going to have their
11:42visas revoked or not renewed, involving whether or not their actions affect our foreign policy interests
11:50or are the opposite of what it is they said that they would be doing here if they engage in certain
11:55kind of behavior. So – but what we will do is see how the Secretary feels about this, and I do expect
12:03to talk with him a little bit later. But – so we'll take that back and get it back to you, because I know
12:07you're going to be reporting on that. But we'll do that.
12:10MS. Also, one more, if I may. Can you tell us – there's plenty of criticism, as I'm sure you're aware of,
12:17out there, folks who say the – the new dual-hatted role for the Secretary is problematic.
12:23Can you tell us how he feels about being appointed National Security Advisor?
12:29MS. Well, what I can tell you is that this is a man who accepted a job because he knew
12:36he could do it. He is here, has had tremendous success as Secretary of State. He also knows what's
12:43required there. He's in the White House a great deal. He has an excellent relationship with the
12:46President. And if the President is going to ask him to do something, the President feels also that
12:50he would be obviously a good fit, or he wouldn't have asked him to do it in an interim basis.
12:55I have found – and I can just speak to my own experience with him – that Secretary Rubio is
13:00very focused. He enjoys being here. He likes his work. I think – and most of the time he loves his work.
13:08This is a man who's committed to wanting to make a difference in the world. And we're in a remarkable
13:12time where someone with his family background and experience, as with President Trump's, as with
13:18mine, as with many of you, maybe sometimes find ourselves surprised to be in this building and
13:24working and doing this kind of job. I find Secretary Rubio to hold that
13:32honesty about the reality of our situations really close to his heart. And I see that in his work and
13:38how he responds to people and what his goals are. So I can – I think it's fair to say that he enjoys
13:44what he's doing, that he's grateful for the opportunities, and he's going to be with everyone
13:50talking about – you know, the last person who held this was Kissinger. I think what we're looking at is
13:55a new age in the 21st century, and Marco Rubio is going to, I think, have a tremendous impact.
14:01Yes? Going back to the Middle East, on this deal with the Houthis, were the Israelis informed prior
14:08to the President's announcements in the Oval Office that this understanding had been reached
14:12between the U.S. and the Houthis? I can't speak to that at this point.
14:16And then on this foundation that was teased this weekend about delivering aid to Gaza,
14:20the UN and native community have unanimously rejected this. They say that it goes against the
14:25humanitarian principles of objectivity. Is the U.S. going to take that criticism into account
14:31as it tries to move forward on this, or is it a done deal and we should expect?
14:35Well, first of all, I'm not going to get ahead of what will be a very important announcement
14:40for those who know, speaking about the issue of getting aid into Gaza. That information will,
14:47I think, be forthcoming, certainly in a few days. So I'm not going to get ahead of the nature of what
14:53complaints might be or who is unhappy, but I have a feeling that I'll have plenty to say,
14:59as will many others, when this is formally announced. And it will be very, very good news,
15:03so we're looking forward to that. Yes, sir.
15:05Thank you, Sami. I have two questions, if you don't mind. My first, just on the announcement
15:10you made about the Palestinian Affairs Office of emerging it into other sections of the embassy.
15:16Yes.
15:16Can you just please explain what's the mindset behind that? Given that a few weeks ago also
15:22the department eliminated the position of the security coordinator in the West Bank. So is it
15:30part of minimizing contact with Palestinian authority, Palestinian people, or restructuring?
15:36Well, this was something actually that had been established in Trump's first term. So this is not
15:41a new decision. It's not a new idea. It, in fact, restores his first-term framework of a unified
15:48U.S. diplomatic mission in Israel's capital that reports to the ambassador to Israel. So this is
15:53something that was reversed by the previous administration that had already been established.
15:58Ambassador Huckabee, of course, is in charge, will be taking steps to do this.
16:02But it also is not a reflection on any outreach or commitment to outreach to the people of the West
16:09Bank or to Gaza. It really is actually very similar to what's happening here with the bureaus,
16:14with our reorganization. It is making sure that the issues that are important are all working
16:19together, right, are not segmented out. So that the interests of the embassy, very much like the
16:25interests of our foreign aid and other actions, can work together in the bureau as one entity.
16:30And that was the intention of that. And again, it was established in the first term. And now this is
16:37just being restored effectively to reflect the President's vision.
16:41My second question is, today the Egyptians – some sources in Egypt said that they received a U.S.
16:47proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza. This happened a few minutes before the President himself announced
16:55that there will be good news. Can you confirm that you've delivered to the mediators any plan?
17:01No, I can't. Yeah, I can't speak to what sources might say or to speculate or what might or might
17:09not still be negotiated. What I do like is the fact that there are a few things that might be the big
17:15good news coming up. Now, won't that be nice? So this is something that – what is this? So it's Tuesday,
17:21so we have a few days left to go. But it's going – but there is good news. I think just like today with
17:27the news of the Houthis, that there's good news and that the work can reap dividends,
17:32as we've seen in the past with President Trump's intentions in his work. So I'm sorry,
17:36I can't answer that specifically. Yes, sir. Thank you very much. On March 8th,
17:41you ended the waiver that allowed Iraq to import electricity from Iran, but Iran continues to
17:48import electricity to Iraq. What is your command on this?
17:52Well, as part of the maximum pressure campaign, the waiver for – you're right – for Iraq to
17:58import Iranian electricity was not renewed last month, March of 2025. The government of Iraq is
18:05taking steps to secure alternate sources of electricity, including through expanding gas capture
18:11and increasing imports from other neighboring countries. Some of these efforts are directly
18:16benefiting U.S. companies, including the recent signing of memorandums of understanding with
18:22UGT Renewables and GE Vernova. And of course, we continue to support all of efforts – all of the
18:30Iraqis' efforts to end their energy reliance on Iran. All right. Yes, sir.
18:36Yes. Hi. Thanks, Tammy. U.S. Special Envoy for Africa, Massad Boulos, suggested on X that the DRC and Rwanda
18:45had submitted draft proposals ahead of a peace plan. And parallel to that, Rwanda's foreign minister today
18:55actually told AFP that they had agreed and set out on a calendar and that there would be a meeting in
19:04of the foreign ministers end of May or mid-May in Washington and then a final, hopefully, peace
19:11agreement in June in Washington. Can you confirm any of those – of that calendar?
19:16Well, what I confirm – what I can confirm is this. Of course, the important historic meeting that
19:22Secretary Rubio established that happened on April 25th with the foreign ministers of the DRC and Rwanda
19:29occurred, of course. And at this meeting, both sides committed to reaching a resolution – this
19:34is a decades-old conflict – and they signed a Declaration of Principles. The date involved in
19:41that was May 2nd, which was a date for them to make additional outlines of what it was they were going
19:48to do to reach that principle and that goal of ending that conflict. So that was outlined in the
19:55Declaration of Principles. Both of them, in fact, by that date, submitted the inputs, their ideas,
20:01for a draft peace agreement and a roadmap for peace. It's – when we think about the remarkable
20:07establishment of this, you know, some conflicts that are so old or not as looked at as much as
20:15others that are in the world, we are working on all of them. And this was a tremendous achievement.
20:20So both did meet that deadline. We welcome, of course, those details and recognize this
20:25is an important step toward fulfilling the commitments made in that Declaration of Principles.
20:30And we are going to build on the momentum and continue to work with African Union partners
20:35and both of the parties to get to an agreement that delivers a durable peace, economic prosperity,
20:41and stability in the region. Senior Advisor Boulos' meetings in Doha last week, in fact,
20:47were a further step toward that goal. And that's all I can report to you. But it's more good news.
20:52What do we know? Yes, sir. Thank you, Tammy. Moving to Ukraine, if I may.
20:56The President has been discussing Ukraine peace efforts with foreign leaders. We heard from the
21:00White House over the weekend about a call with Erdogan. We heard him saying it today with Canadian
21:06Prime Minister in caveat that you cannot walk us into the White House discussion. Let me ask you
21:12this. Does that mean that you guys are staying very much as key mediators, contrary to media reports,
21:17and that following mineral steel talks are entering right now into a new phase?
21:22MS NAUERT- Well, first, I can tell you, of course, there were some erroneous reports, fake reports
21:28about the nature of where we stand. I made a number of comments in the midst of those reports,
21:33debunking them. The fact is, is that Ukraine, of course, we've been its largest supporter,
21:37we remain its largest supporter. We remain within our posture of being mediators within this framework.
21:44But as I think I said to you last Tuesday, a week ago, was that there is – we do recognize,
21:50and everyone has to, that both parties must come up with their proposals for an enduring peace,
21:57that we are looking for that progress. And that is because we have a time, you know, in our minds,
22:04the President has noted that this can't go on forever, as has the Secretary. And so the framework
22:10of if we were to withdraw as a mediator would come if we don't see progress from the parties. And we do.
22:18The President has made recent comments about his continuing optimism about what was possible.
22:24And, of course, the Secretary also has been traveling a great deal and continues to. But our commitment
22:31is not one that is fainting. It is not one that was brief. This is a commitment that, while styles
22:41might change on occasion or the nature of the strategies might change, but our commitment remains
22:46the same. And, again, it is reliant on the parties showing us that progress is possible,
22:54that they're working for progress, that steps are being taken for progress. And then the President,
23:01who is in charge of how this proceeds, will make his determination. He's, of course,
23:05involved with all of the parties in this regard, along, of course, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio,
23:10and, of course, the interim NSA. So we've – we're sure about that. That was – I appreciate you
23:18bringing it up, because there's a lot of fake news. I think we've been extremely clear,
23:24and I appreciate the opportunity to be clear again about our commitment to Ukraine.
23:28Thank you so much for that. When you say both parties, just – I'm trying to understand why Ukraine
23:33is in this – in this, let's say, group. Ukraine did everything you asked them for – you know,
23:39from – to do. They signed the agreement, they –
23:42Well, what I – what I – yes. Well, yes. And I've enjoyed being at the summits,
23:48working with people, meeting my counterparts in Ukraine, their commitment. Obviously,
23:54they want this to stop, this carnage to stop. It's clear. But I'm not in every room and with every
24:00conversation. What I convey to you in my role is what the Secretary of State has said and what the
24:05President has noted, is that the parties must come together with concrete efforts and
24:11acknowledgements and ideas and strategies to end the conflict. So when – when that is something I
24:19convey to you, I can't – I'm not going to speak for Ukrainians, certainly not for the Russians,
24:24but that's – both parties within the framework of the conversations that the negotiators and
24:32diplomats are having must participate in that framework. Yes, ma'am.
24:37Thank you very much, Connie. I have two questions. One on the U.S. diplomatic missions.
24:45Another one is China and Russia, if I may. Regarding the closure of U.S. diplomatic missions overseas,
24:54can you confirm that the United States is considering closing the diplomatic missions
25:02in 27 countries around the world and will also close its consulate in Busan, South Korea?
25:12And the second question, it has been reported that Chinese companies are
25:17producing missiles in Russia, and Russia's Kremlin announced that it would strengthen solidarity with
25:30China to celebrate the victory days. What are you concerned about China and Russia's military cooperating?
25:40MS. Well, what I've said several times from this podium is that there are several nations that are
25:45responsible for helping move the carnage that is unfolding in Ukraine in this war,
25:52that many nations are responsible for the nature of how it continues. And I've stated that several
25:58times. The State Department has as well. And so I'm going to leave that there. Regarding our missions and
26:03our consulates, I have nothing to report for you at this point regarding the nature of what will be
26:09transpiring. But I will ask if we can take another look at perhaps if there are announcements or any
26:15updates on that particular dynamic, we'll get back to you certainly. Thank you.
26:20MS. Yes, sir. Glasses.
26:21Yesterday, there was a meeting of United Nations Security Council where all the permanent and non-permanent
26:27members were there, including U.S. That meeting was on the Pakistan-India tensions. And all the members
26:34of the view that the only way to resolve Papua-India tensions is to resolve the Kashmir issue. And
26:41MS. Is – I'm sorry, do you do what?
26:43The Kashmir issue should be resolved.
26:44MS. The Kashmir issue, yes, of course.
26:45Yeah, Kashmir should be resolved, like, through U.N. Security Council resolution,
26:49which were adopted and approved. Like many decades ago, U.S. also approved it. So just wondering if
26:54you want to say about something about any position like that.
26:56MS. Well, what – there's – as we know, this is a dynamic,
27:01serious issue. So I'll repeat some of what I've said before. But as you know, I'm
27:08limited here. It remains an evolving situation. We clearly are still closely involved in monitoring.
27:16We continue to urge Pakistan and India to work towards a responsible resolution
27:21that maintains long-term peace and regional stability in South Asia. We remain in touch with
27:27the governments of both countries at multiple levels. We are not watching from afar in that
27:33regard. We are engaged. And, you know, we're aware of various reports that are happening in the midst of
27:40this very delicate situation. And, of course, we – I think, not – without being involved,
27:50certainly in the phone calls, I do have – it's comfortable to have tremendous trust in the President
27:54and in the Secretary of State when it comes to how this is unfolding. All right. Yes, sir.
27:58MS. Thank you, Tammy.
27:59MS. All right. We'll move on.
28:00Do you confirm that there is a meeting with Iranian this Sunday? This is the first. And the second one,
28:05is there any connection between the Houthi ceasefire and your diplomatic engagement with Iran?
28:10MS. You know, this is the Houthi dynamic and other things that are unfolding. We have news every day,
28:17fortunately, much good news. And this has been a commitment from day one, right, from the moment
28:25and before, certainly back to his first term, what President Trump has been interested in.
28:30So while we have – we're going to have all kinds of things that might happen at the same time,
28:35it's important to not conflate them, that we have results of things that have been worked on
28:39for weeks and months that are now coming to fruition. Also, the President's interest in, as an example,
28:47the aid to Gaza and his personal involvement and commitment to having that get resolved is something
28:54that does make things move faster, but everything his administration does is fast moving. So I would
29:01say that is to be cautious in the fact that we're looking at the development of things that are important,
29:08but have been in the works for a long time and are not tied to a certain development or linked to one
29:16thing or another. But you're going to have things happen at the same time when you've got a singular
29:21region, multiple issues happening, multiple negotiations, multiple efforts for ceasefires.
29:27Inevitably, things are going to happen simultaneously. But I think that that is the result of the kind of work
29:32that we've been engaged in for weeks now. And so that's – I mean, that's all I can say about that.
29:40What about the Iran – the meetings with Iranian this Sunday?
29:43MS. I – what we – you know, we've had that question before. Certainly last week we addressed it.
29:50I have no specifics for you about what is occurring, and I can't confirm what will occur. But as soon as
29:57we do, and if we do, you will hear it right from this podium. All right. Yes, sir.
30:01Thank you. My colleague, let me ask one of my questions. But the Trump administration
30:07released a budget blueprint on Friday. It's not a leak or a draft. It's an actual budget blueprint
30:12that they send to Congress, and it includes massive cuts for the United Nations. So with Ambassador
30:18Designate Waltz heading there presumably at some point this year, I mean, what is going to be his
30:25mandate? Is he going in with priorities to – I mean, to advance certain U.S. interests,
30:31or is he going in with more of like a Secretary McMahon's mandate to kind of start to unwind things,
30:36so to speak? What is his – what is his mandate going to look like?
30:39MS. Well, I think that conversation is something that President Trump and soon-to-be
30:43Ambassador Waltz would be having. What we do know is that what the White House submits to Congress is a
30:50budget that reflects their commitments and what they want, and it certainly is consistent with
30:55the nature of what they're trying to do with government, which is not just for the sake of
30:59making it smaller, but making it more efficient. You've got to be nimble, and you've got to know
31:04what your mission is. You've got to be spending money based in a way that is a reflection of what
31:10the American foreign policy is, what our values are. And that bigger doesn't necessarily mean better.
31:17It certainly doesn't mean necessarily that you can get things done. As a matter of fact,
31:22the more bureaucracy, the less that you're able to accomplish. So from the start, and I have a
31:26feeling we might be talking about this for four years, is the fact that just because something
31:32is changing or looks different doesn't mean it doesn't exist or it's not going to do the same job.
31:38It will do a better job. That is always the goal, and that is the focus. So – and then, of course,
31:44this is a budget recommendation from the White House, and then we will watch that unfold with
31:50Congress. But it certainly reflects the President's agenda and his goals. Yes, Eric.
31:54Yes, Tammy. If I could ask – we've seen reports the last couple of days about – you mentioned the
32:03President's statement today about the Houthis and their ceasing of attacks on U.S. ships.
32:09But we've also seen reports in the region that Israel is calling up more reservists for a potential
32:16expansion in Gaza. Can you speak to the challenge of fighting all of the different Iranian proxies at
32:24once? And is this an area of concern as far as the potential for an expansion in the fighting and the
32:29conflict in Gaza? Well, you know, we've seen clearly the nature of Hamas and that it has to be wiped off
32:35out of Gaza completely if there's to be any peace. We certainly have seen the impact on Hezbollah
32:42as Israel continues to defend itself against that armed squad of Iran and the Houthis as well.
32:49The good news is the United States, of course, can do many things at once. Israel also has a right to
32:56defend itself. And as an ally, we support that, and we clearly have made that clear to the world as well.
33:03And the remarkable agreements and at least even just getting Iran to the table has been a tremendous
33:12accomplishment for our ambassadors, for President Trump's foreign policy. So it's not what one would
33:21want. You want a peaceful world. President Trump came into a world that was left behind through the
33:31previous administration in a condition that required immediate intervention. And that is what he has
33:37done, and that is what the American people expected. He is acting on that expectation. It's – again, a lot of
33:45us would – certainly everyone involved in these conflicts and wars – this is not what any family anywhere
33:52in the world imagines what the next day would be for their families. And I'm proud, and we all should be,
33:58that the United States continues to work to change all of these conflicts, to bring them to heel, to stop
34:06them, and to make people's lives better. I'm very excited that many efforts are going to bring fruit
34:15to our conversations. And we'll be able to talk more about that later in the week. But no, I think that
34:22that when it comes to Israel defending itself, us supporting Israel, and the nature of our commitment
34:30for peace in that region, Iran is certainly at that framework. And we have tremendous ambassadors
34:39like Steve Witkoff setting the table there about what needs to happen for the country, for the region,
34:44and for the world. All right. Yes, sir. So going back to Ukraine, you said you were
34:52waiting for concrete proposals. And so are there any new proposals? And what's the status?
35:01MS NAUERT- Well, if there were new proposals, I wouldn't stand here and say we were waiting
35:05for new proposals. And that at the same time, there is – it is a word I used a lot in the beginning of
35:12my briefings, but it's true here. It's fluid, right? So it doesn't happen only at certain times of the
35:19day or when I'm briefing. These are efforts and conversations that I have to say are really 24-7,
35:25right? There's action in each part of the world in making a difference here and finding a common ground.
35:31MS NAUERT- Secretary Rubio has noted on a few occasions that, you know, in some ways,
35:37getting them to the table was the easy part. Then you have to discuss – you want the ceasefire,
35:42you want the slaughter to stop. Then it comes down to how do you get two parties like this
35:49to agree to stop, you know, in a durable way, in a long-term way. That's the difficult part. We have
35:55not even – we've got to get to that ceasefire part. But the conversations – that's why there's
36:01been this dynamic of we've got to see progress in order for us to understand the process and whether
36:08how our process and how our posture in that will continue. And that becomes the question.
36:13So let me ask you a more broad question.
36:15MS NAUERT- Ask me in a different way.
36:16No, no, no.
36:17MS NAUERT- All right, give me a shot.
36:19More broad question.
36:19With regards to the negotiation, but also, brother, do you still support the principle of
36:26territorial integrity and not changing – MS NAUERT- That's a much easier,
36:30much different question. Obviously, I'm not – now, if we were at a seminar somewhere,
36:35my alma mater at USC, I would love to have that conversation with you, but I won't hear today.
36:39Matt, so you wanted me to follow up on the German elections, is that right?
36:42MR. The election of the chancellor.
36:44MS NAUERT- Yeah.
36:45MS NAUERT- If you have – if you have something.
36:46MS NAUERT- Yes, yes. So we congratulate Frederick Merz on his election as chancellor in Germany.
36:51MS NAUERT- We will continue to work with Germany and its next government to ensure the security
36:56of the United States and Europe.
36:59MR. Okay.
37:00MS NAUERT- So there you go. Congratulations to the new chancellor.
37:02MR. Wait a second. Wait, wait, hold on. Wait, just –
37:03MS NAUERT- No, Matt, I'm – that's it for today.
37:05Thank you, everyone. Have a great day.
37:07MR. Thank you. Thank you, everyone.
37:09MS NAUERT- Oh, well, yes. Actually, there is something – one more thing,
37:13and thank you for this as we move on from congratulating people. There is something – two individuals
37:20that I think this is an important thing and that I wanted to make note of, and certainly the people
37:27that I work with wanted to make note of. So before we conclude officially, I want to take a moment to
37:32honor the lives and legacies of two towering figures in American diplomacy, Ambassador Ruth Davis and
37:39Ambassador Lino Gutierrez, both of whom we sadly lost in recent days. Ambassador Davis was a trailblazer
37:46whose distinguished service as a director of the Foreign Service Institute and the Director General
37:52of the Foreign Service shaped generations of diplomats. Ambassador Gutierrez served our nation
37:57with great distinction as U.S. Ambassador to both Argentina and Nicaragua. A steadfast champion of
38:04diplomacy, his commitment to service inspired many. We remember them not only for their contributions
38:11to our country, but for the grace, wisdom, and integrity they brought to the craft of diplomacy.
38:16Their absence leaves a profound void, and their legacies endure. May their memories continue
38:22to inspire us all. Again, Ambassador Ruth Davis and Ambassador Lino Gutierrez. That's how we'll end
38:28today. Thank you, everyone. Have a great day. Thank you for mentioning. Thank you.
38:34Tammy? Yes, can someone come up and get this iPad for me, please?
38:37Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.