Department Press Briefing – May 22, 2025

2:19 p.m. EDT

MS BRUCE: I missed you. I did. I missed you. I don’t know – you could not have missed me because of Tommy Pigott. (Laughter.) Thank you for taking care of him – being nice the first day and not so much the next day. (Laughter.) But thank you, Tommy. Great job. And very proud and honored that you were standing up here. Thank you. I appreciate it.

Thank you, everyone, for being here. Welcome aboard. Daphne smiling – that’s a good sign, but she’s always smiling. That might be a bad sign.

We do, of course, have a statement and a few announcements here. And thank you, again, all, for being here. We condemn the heinous murder of two staff members from the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C. last night. Every day we talk about in this room the aftermath of one of the most obscene attacks on Jews in history. The October 7th massacre was a reminder to the world that Jew hatred and murder is the hallmark of terrorists and monsters around the world. The envy feeding this hate is thousands of years old. It is now the 21st century, and it is time for the barbarity to end.

While this obscenity happened in Washington, D.C., we have a President and a Secretary of State that recognize the importance of saying enough is enough and, genuinely, never again. There is a reason why we stand in solidarity with Israel. There is a reason why we stand with our partners at the Israeli embassy. And there is a reason why we stand with the Jewish people here in the United States and around the world – because America has a history of not allowing the monsters among us to destroy life, the future, and everything that matters.

The Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service is providing ongoing support to the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and their investigation of this incident and coordinating with other federal and local law enforcement partners. As Secretary Marco Rubio has said, “make no mistake: we will track down those responsible and bring them to justice.” “Our prayers their loved ones.” Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky – Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky may their memory be a blessing.

Now, on Capitol Hill this week, Secretary Rubio went before Congress to share how we are implementing President Trump’s vision of an America First foreign policy. He made clear that America is back and that securing our boarders, making communities safer, and combatting criminal cartels are once again key priorities of our foreign policy. He also explained how the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the Department of State will enable the department to deliver on President Trump’s foreign policy agenda that makes America safer, stronger, and more prosperous. The budget request and the State Department’s reorganization will ensure our ability to respond to the challenges of the 21st century on behalf of the American people.

And now finally – ahead of Memorial Day, which I know we’re all looking forward to, I want to recognize and honor the Americans who gave their lives to defend our freedom. Their bravery, service, and sacrifice represent the very best of America. The heroes of this country would have preferred long, enjoyable, quiet lives. But instead, they answered the call when we needed them the most.

Every day that we simply enjoy is due to the sacrifice of the men and women who died on the field. We will never forget those who have given all to defend our country, our way of life, and the American people. God bless all who have served and are serving our nation.

And now ready for your questions. Daphne, yes, ma’am.

QUESTION: Following the shooting last night, are U.S. embassies on any sort of special alert or thinking about any change in posture?

MS BRUCE: I can’t speak to security measures that are being implemented or being discussed or decided upon. What I did note in my topper is that, in fact, we are working certainly with the D.C. Metropolitan Police, and the security of this building, of American diplomats, of diplomats throughout this city is of paramount importance to the United States of America. We act on that every single day, and certainly we’re continuing to do that today and in the days that come as well.

QUESTION: And has Secretary Rubio had any conversations with Israeli officials, with the Israeli ambassador today?

MS BRUCE: I can’t remark on the specifics of any conversations that have been had, but I know that, of course, you’ve seen his messages, the tweets, and of course, we will hear – no doubt again soon – about the nature of what’s transpiring. But I can tell you that he is – as all of us are – is heartbroken. We’re all affected by this. It is something we deal with in a sense, of course, every day. This administration, the Secretary’s work, the President’s work – and often – I don’t know how they do it. It’s – I have maybe 40, 45 minutes with you guys twice a week. And these are issues that are existential all the time. And I know that, again, my work is made easier because I know the people running this country care about life and about the condition of our lives, and so that’s the most I can say separate from, certainly, specifics of who they’re speaking with.

All right. Yes, Andrea Mitchell.

QUESTION: Hi. Thank you very much. A couple of questions about South Africa and also Sudan, if you don’t mind. On South Africa, the State Department is empowered legally with deciding when a genocide exists. Has there been an investigation that supports any such contention? Because there is no credible evidence from any authority on the ground there, in their government, in NGOs, or elsewhere that we can find to support an allegation of genocide, that white farmers are at all as disadvantaged as the crime wave there that is a problem for – against blacks in much greater numbers and proportionally even greater numbers than whites?

The fact-checkers have shown that the white crosses were put up as a protest against the criminal movement and against the death of the farmers. The crosses and the burial were all part of a protest against the criminality, not as described. So what information was given to the White House, if any, by the State Department, by the experts in the field, to support what was described as an ambush widely around the world of a South African visitor who had a celebrated background as a leader of a biracial government and someone who was jailed with Mandela and who has been one of the civic leaders of a new South Africa, as troubled as their history has been, as troubled as their current situation?

MS BRUCE: Well, I would say that, as we all knew, of course, the President has been very vocal about his concern about the violence, the nature of what’s been transpiring in South Africa. The president did not come to the United States of America unaware of the position and the posture of the President and of the Secretary of State and of his administration. So I would argue against very much that there was some kind of an ambush. His – South Africa also has been facing a dynamic where there’s been regular criticism, ranging from not just the collapse, in some ways, when it comes to the violence in civil society, but then the referral of Israel with the ICJ for the issues of genocide while ignoring Hamas, cozying up to Iran, the general choices that they’ve made.

In the meantime, also, of passing a law that has allowed them to take the property, to possess property of white Afrikaner farmers with no reason. One element is equity. And so when you’re doing – when you’re passing laws like that that target a group – ostensibly sending a message to the population that these people are – have a price to pay, there’s something that they need to be doing, that they’re – that they deserve to have their land taken; combined with the chants of “Kill the Boer,” the massive rallies where encouragement of violence is prevalent and is at the core of it; in addition to the association South Africa and its president have chosen to make, like with Iran, and their actions against Israel – it creates a picture that is worthwhile having a conversation in the Oval Office. And that is, I think – it is the transparency of the President, certainly, both leaders aware of what the concerns have been and what the arguments have been.

So I don’t think that President Ramaphosa was somehow surprised or shocked at the fact that we have an honest man who’s in the White House, who’s spoken and continued to speak about the violence and the trajectory of South Africa.

QUESTION: Well, what I’m just suggesting is that the facts matter with the credibility of the President. And that the – as it was explained in the Oval Office and it has been explained elsewhere, that is a minority party, a protest party that is legally permissible. But that the white agricultural minister said in the Oval Office: that’s why we joined the coalition, to make sure that they didn’t get into the parliament, that they don’t have power. They’ve been – they’ve been opposed and —

MS BRUCE: Well – and the nature of the weeds of something like that, where that individual – you saw also the larger video of the thousands and thousands of individuals in a stadium framework. And I think that what Americans in the world and what South Africans see is a movement and an attitude that is not only not punished, but reinforced —

QUESTION: But it’s not a majority movement —

MS BRUCE: — but Andrea – reinforced with a law that says, oh, those people that you’re calling to have be killed, yeah, let’s take their land. Who does that? Who does that in the midst of that environment? And I think that when we think about – I’m not certainly going to get ahead of the President. President Trump is someone that the world knows says what he thinks and acts on what he thinks. But I think that it was very clear – and he’s been clear, as has the Secretary – about the problems with South Africa, the nature of the signals that it sends, the quality or lack thereof of life, the fact that we have taken in refugees, very basic standard of looking for asylum, they’ve met that standard, and it’s more than just complaining. It is about acting and finding –

QUESTION: Well, now that you’ve brought that up —

MS BRUCE: — an element that – where we can make a difference for those people.

QUESTION: Taking of the land, first of all, it’s with judicial review when it has happened.

MS BRUCE: (Laughter.) All right. Yeah.

QUESTION: It’s not – it’s not (inaudible) —

MS BRUCE: Now let me – but let me correct you right there, Andrea, and then I’m going to move on. This particular law they tout has not even been implemented yet.

QUESTION: That’s correct.

MS BRUCE: This is – but – so it’s not about judicial review. The law – if you have a judicial review of a law that says there is no standard, well, then you’ll have judicial review of no standard.

QUESTION: But they have not taken land so —

MS BRUCE: All right. But this – and it is in part, I would argue, because of the global attention that has been placed on them because of President Donald Trump’s attitude, his comments, and bringing attention to that framework in general. That is why that hasn’t been acted on. And I – we’ll move on, but I think I’ve been clear.

QUESTION: No, but you brought up these refugees.

MS BRUCE: Yes, Matt. I think you have probably something to say.

QUESTION: Excuse me, you brought up the refugees, Tammy. Let me just —

QUESTION: Follow-up —

MS BRUCE: Andrea, four – you’ve had four questions; I’ve answered them. You’ve asked in depth. We are going to move on. Yes, sir. I’m sure others might have the same sort of questions.

QUESTION: Thanks.

MS BRUCE: Yes, sir.

QUESTION: Thanks, Tammy. I – two, I think should be quick ones on sanctions. One, can you just explain the discrepancy or apparent discrepancy between what Secretary Rubio tweeted last night on Venezuela sanctions and what Special Envoy Grenell said? The Secretary’s saying that they would – the Chevron waiver would not be extended, and Special Envoy Grenell is saying it would be. And then just secondly, on Sudan – I’m sorry, Syria sanctions.

MS BRUCE: Syria.

QUESTION: Just what’s the status of the relief that the President promised last week? Thank you.

MS BRUCE: Well, I can tell you that the Secretary did – he put up a tweet making it clear where we stand on Chevron, which is a license which is due to expire in May. And what I will speak to is not what others have said, but certainly the people who are in charge of the nature of what we are doing, and that is Secretary Rubio, making it clear that that license is going to expire. And so that’s what I take my lead from, is his remarks in that regard. So there’s no confusion. I think many people on every issue can have a lot of opinions, but I think clearly who we look to are the people who have the power to have the impact and who make the decision, and of course this is at the direction of President Trump as well.

About Syria. Yes, it was a very exciting moment. I was in Riyadh and in the building when President Trump announced that he was lifting the sanctions on Syria. That is something that we’ve discussed, and many people have wondered when that would occur, and clearly the President decided now was the time. And I do know that, of course, there is a team of people who immediately started working on that, who are working on it now.

There is – of course, it’s worth noting that the President has some powers in the nature of what can get done, but sanctions are administered through different departments in this country. So it is – his was a message and certainly the order to reverse our dynamic, to remove the sanctions, which involves departments like the Treasury Department. So it’s – it is a process that will take some time, but as we know with the Trump Administration that they’ve sped up the train a bit and they understand the importance of getting things done quickly, and that is their intention of getting things done quickly, as they take the order from the President from that afternoon.

And we’re working on it; it’s been a week. But I do think, because of not just the urgency but – they understand the urgency, but of the recognition of this administration, the government as a whole, of how the President works, that things have to happen and should happen as quickly as possible. So all I can say is, without a specific date, it will be done quickly, and certainly more quickly than we’re used to.

QUESTION: Thanks.

MS BRUCE: All right. All right. Yes. Yes, ma’am.

QUESTION: Can we go to Gaza?

MS BRUCE: Sure.

QUESTION: Secretary Rubio said in one of his hearings on the Hill that he had met with the World Food Program in Rome. I just want to get clarity on whether this means that the current U.S. policy is for the UN’s leading food program – leading food organization is, like, that they will remain the main food provider for Gaza, hence his meeting with them, or whether that doesn’t —

MS BRUCE: You’re reading an awful lot into a meeting that you heard about.

QUESTION: I – it would be good to get more detail on it —

MS BRUCE: Sure.

QUESTION: — given there’s a lot of reporting on heated conversations between humanitarian organizations —

PARTICIPANT: Sure.

QUESTION: — discussion over this new Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. And I’ve got one more after that.

MS BRUCE: Sure. Yes. Sure. Well, Secretary Rubio visited with Cindy McCain, who leads that program, and he doesn’t visit personally to shut something down. It was, from what I know, a very good meeting. I cannot share the details with you, as you might imagine. But I think that regularly we should view the nature – and certainly after the rhetoric the Secretary has used and the actions that the State Department has implemented when it comes to our continuing commitment to lifesaving aid around the world, certainly food aid, is that I would have expected since her office is in our embassy at the Holy See that that is a meeting that should have taken place and did take place.

And I’m looking forward to the nature of that kind of a conversation and what can come from it, and we’ll see. But it was – that entire visit was very good, I think, very – certainly we went to the inaugural mass with the Pope, but overall it was a recognition and a commitment, seeing this from the Secretary, being there, as he is a practicing Catholic, but also knowing how each part of this work mattered and also was implemented on that trip, the nature of what – the importance of Italy, the importance of the Vatican, the importance of faith, and the nature of his work in the process. And, of course, that meeting was part of that work.

QUESTION: So it’s just part of looking at options, or something like —

MS BRUCE: I – I’m not going to speculate or guess. I’m a little psychic but not enough for that, to answer that specifically.

QUESTION: Oh, you’re a little psychic?

MS BRUCE: A little psychic.

QUESTION: So what can you do?

MS BRUCE: Well, nothing you want to know. But it’s – I would – don’t speculate on that, but I do think because of the speed in which we work, we will all see the intention of the Secretary, the nature of what’s happening with the World Food Program under certainly the leadership of Cindy McCain and what her intentions are as well. So we’re looking forward to it.

QUESTION: Okay. Just quickly related —

MS BRUCE: So you had some more. You had Sudan —

QUESTION: Just – no, just one on Gaza as well.

MS BRUCE: Yeah. On Gaza. Yes.

QUESTION: On this Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

MS BRUCE: Sure.

QUESTION: There is reporting about private security that would be used for this new foundation. I just want to understand if this administration is okay with private security personnel for a foundation like that, presumably of which they’ll be armed going into Gaza, and presumably some of the personnel for that private security would be American citizens. Just want to understand what the stance is on —

MS BRUCE: Well, presume – watch out when you use the word “presumably.” Watch out.

QUESTION: I mean, looking at other private security firms and what they do and some of those that work with them —

MS BRUCE: Well, I think that, yes, it’s good that you’re concerned about security. We all are. And that’s been one of the problems we’ve had with Gaza, is the ability to move food aid and medical aid through an arena that is not thinking as you think. They are not concerned about safety. It is about terrorists who’ve been keeping food aid and medical aid from the people of Gaza, and that has impacted our ability to move all that aid, the aid that we’ve wanted to move through, that we would do only when it was safe to do so. So our concern has been constantly about safety and what we could achieve in that environment. That’s the point of ceasefires, is to have safety.

So I would – with that being a standard, that we will support having things move in if it can be safe, that having a security service is important, I think we all would agree. I won’t get into the details of how it’s being managed, but – because that’s the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which is private and operates on its own. But clearly when it comes to what one of our core elements was, which is that we support all of this if it can be moved in safely and securely and without falling into the hands of terrorists and the people who are causing death and destruction in that area, it seems like they’ve structured something that can manage that, that can – is the equivalent of something that we can all agree on, and they’re moving forward. So that’s the story, is that we’ve been able to do it – “we” being humanity – that it’s something that all of us have wanted to see, which is a movement of aid.

QUESTION: If they use private security —

MS BRUCE: You need to call them.

QUESTION: — clearance —

MS BRUCE: When we speak about private security – what I look at as the story is that we’ve managed or expect to manage security that gets food and medicine to the people who all of you have wondered about whether or not they’re going to get it. That’s my story, and that’s the story of humanity and the people of the Gaza strip.

Yes, sir.

QUESTION: On Iran, Mr. Witkoff is meeting with Mr. Araghchi tomorrow in Rome. Both sides have been stressing on respective positions in the past few days regarding enrichment. Do you see a chance to have a path forward towards compromise or not?

And if I may, a second question. Secretary —

MS BRUCE: Can I answer that one so that we can – and then I will – I won’t lose you, don’t worry.

QUESTION: Thank you.

MS BRUCE: It’s like we’re on a slide. You’re hanging on.

Yes, what I can say is that we’ve made it clear on every project we’re working on, certainly including Russia and Ukraine, that our involvement is really because we feel we can make a difference and that’s why we do it. This additional meeting, certainly the fifth round of the nuclear talks, would not be happening if we didn’t think that there was potential for it. And so I would say that clearly we believe that we are going to succeed. We’ve also been very clear on some basic things, like they’re not going to have a nuclear weapon. They’ve been very clear – most of our leaders have been who’ve spoken on it – that this is about no enrichment. And the Iranians are at that table, so they also understand what our position is, and they continue to go. So we feel something’s good enough for us to continue this work.

Yes, sir.

QUESTION: Second question, Secretary Rubio this week at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said that the past four meetings have been focused on enrichment only. So other issues, like the Iran’s support for the proxies, which is, like, the concern for the regional countries, are those issues going to be discussed later on? Or are they going to be part of another round of discussions?

MS BRUCE: Well, I’m not, again, part of the negotiating team, won’t discuss what might be the plan. But just like an issue of needing a ceasefire before you discuss what the land is going to look like and what the nations are going to be doing after the fact, there’s points that you have to get to before you discuss elements that might not even be a factor if you can’t get to the bright line that allows us to move forward. And that bright line has been enrichment, certainly not getting a nuclear bomb, and those things have to be addressed. I say this because that’s what I’ve seen them do and being very specific, which is fabulous, because nobody’s guessing at what the goal is.

But of course, considering the generational issues involved, this is – and the President has said this about everything he’s worked on – with the generational issues involved that these cannot be solutions that last six months or are able to be broken in 18 months, or in three years your 15-year-old is suddenly pulled into a war because now they’re 18; that these have got to be enduring, fundamentally changing arrangements that only Donald Trump can bring because of the nature of his attitude, his vision, and because of the support of the American people understanding that this was a factor. So I would say – well, I’m not going to go on from that. I think that’ll be it.

Yes. Yes, go ahead. Hi there.

QUESTION: The U.S. sent some migrants to Djibouti, and I’m wondering are you in negotiations with Djibouti to accept these people or are you still trying to get them to South Sudan, who say they won’t take third-country nationals. What’s the State Department’s role in this?

MS BRUCE: Well, we know that, of course, the Secretary’s been very open about the fact that we are negotiating with a number of countries to facilitate the deportation of people who are here in this country illegally. I can say also, as the Secretary’s noted, that we remain unwavering in our commitment to end illegal and mass migration and bolster America’s border security. I won’t discuss the diplomatic conversations, which clearly is part of this framework, with specific countries here.

I would also point you to Karoline Leavitt’s remarks the hour before my briefing here, where she noted a court order required the flight to go to Djibouti. And I know the White House has more details on the framework involving that. So we’re currently – just in the sense of handling this in a immigration posture, certainly, it is a reflection of our continued attitude and position, and I don’t think that this situation – it’s certainly in the courts, which I can’t remark on. But we’re familiar with having to make our arguments in a variety of arenas, and this is one of those times. And – but I know Karoline had more specifics.

QUESTION: In South Sudan there was a dispute before with them for not taking somebody and you guys stopped issuing visas.

MS BRUCE: Right.

QUESTION: Has that been resolved?

MS BRUCE: Yeah, the visa situation remains the same. Yes, we reacted in that regard because they had confirmed that this one particular person was a citizen, prepared to take him back, and then that did not happen at the last moment, and so our response was when you’re having a diplomatic negotiation with a country you’re going to respond to certain situations. We can say that in the midst of that, in the aftermath, our posture on visas and all of that has not changed, and we have noted, of course, regularly that we monitor their behavior, their attitudes, which of course continues to matter to us. But we also, though, are currently accepting certain diplomatic and official visa applications if eligibility is determined in that regard, and we do that as always on a case-by-case basis. So at this point I have nothing more to report on that except that it is still in place.

Yes.

QUESTION: Can I just ask a quick follow-up on Iran? Two Iranian sources told my colleague Fred Pleitgen, who is currently in Tehran, that they are concerned about the sincerity of the United States heading into this next round of nuclear talks, and they think Trump is steering the conversation towards deadlock. Obviously, the administration has said that they want an Iran nuclear deal, but is there any – anything you can shed light on in terms of the dialogue between the two sides that might be causing unnamed Iranian sources to tell us this?

MS BRUCE: Unnamed Iranian sources – no, it’s not – that’s not – that doesn’t interest me. It’s gossip at that rate. Certainly when we have – and we’ve said repeatedly to not discuss this in the media because it makes things harder. Everybody has an interest in all of our negotiations doing well. Some people don’t have an interest in that, and that’s where you get unnamed sources from. I don’t know if there’s an Iranian National Enquirer or maybe there is, but that’s not something that I’m going to take seriously.

What is the story and what matters is that everyone is at the table in Rome.

QUESTION: And what is the intention of Steve Witkoff going into the talks in Rome?

MS BRUCE: Well, it’s very clear what I’ve also just said a little earlier and we’ve said in multiple briefings: The goal is to end the – any ability for them to have a nuclear weapon, to change and end the enrichment of their nuclear program, and the intentions of that nuclear program. So it’s a significant structural change in what Iran thinks it’s going to be doing, and that’s the negotiations. I think they’ve been very clear about what the intentions are.

QUESTION: And just one follow-up on a different topic, but this is just coming out now from —

MS BRUCE: Oh, not another one.

QUESTION: — Homeland Security.

MS BRUCE: Not another one.

QUESTION: No, don’t worry. Not like last time.

MS BRUCE: Okay, good.

QUESTION: But Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says that DHS is now terminating Harvard’s ability to allow any foreign students to enroll in the university —

MS BRUCE: Right.

QUESTION: — saying in a statement that the administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party. This is obviously a program that isn’t run out of the State Department, but some of these J-1 visas are issued by the State Department. So can you shed some light on this decision by the administration?

MS BRUCE: We’ve seen those reports and we are looking at them. And I can’t answer that immediately, but as soon as we might have an answer, I can get it to you. I’m sure that when we get our answer, we’ll get it to everybody. But yes, so I’ve seen those reports and I would also refer you, of course, to DHS and to Secretary Noem, who might have more details, more answers for you.

Said, nice to see you again. I hope it’s nice to see you. I know it’s —

QUESTION: Thank you. I appreciate it.

MS BRUCE: Okay. Yes, sir.

QUESTION: Really quick. Two quick follow-ups, one on Andrea —

MS BRUCE: Yes.

QUESTION: — and on South Africa, and then one on Gaza.

MS BRUCE: Sure.

QUESTION: On South Africa, you said that the President was also influenced by what South Africa has done in terms of referring the – its role in the ICC.

MS BRUCE: I said we all have been. We all have been. Yes.

QUESTION: Yeah, well, its role in the ICC.

MS BRUCE: The package. Yes.

QUESTION: Just to clarify that. So he was because South Africa referred Israel to the ICC?

MS BRUCE: Well, it’s – I did not say for a specific event, that that influenced him. I don’t speak – I —

QUESTION: Right. I’m just —

MS BRUCE: President Trump is a very clear man.

QUESTION: Right. Okay.

MS BRUCE: It’s – no one has to wonder his position. But I think for all of us who have been looking at the condition of South Africa, it’s not – it’s never just one thing, is it? It’s a number of things.

QUESTION: It’s —

MS BRUCE: I’ll finish. I know you might not be liking my answer, but I’ll finish.

QUESTION: No, I —

MS BRUCE: Said, I – it is a series of things that point to the intention of an administration or of a regime, and it is usually consistent. So if you’re wondering about the nature of whether – why it matters that people are at a huge stadium shouting “kill the Boer,” which are the – for those at home, the Dutch descendants of the settlers of South Africa, and who are white farmers – combined, then, with a government that says, oh, we reject that, they’re not part of our government, but then pass a law that allows the government to take the property of those very same people simply because they’re white farmers.

So that speaks to the intention of a regime, in addition to their behavior with other nations, their foreign policy, how they would view the victims of October 7th, the Jews, as those who should be referred to a criminal court versus Hamas, in addition to having a rather cozy relationship with Iran.

So you don’t need to be in a seminar at Stanford to understand and to recognize the trajectory of South Africa. That is the argument, for those who are looking at that. Again, beyond one issue. And I think those issues speak quite loudly.

QUESTION: And very quickly on Gaza.

MS BRUCE: Yes.

QUESTION: Now, the Israelis are saying they allowed maybe six trucks or nine trucks – we don’t know – and international agencies say no trucks were allowed in. Could you clarify, if you have the information: Have any trucks been allowed in, the number of trucks if you know the number, and so on? And what’s next in terms of figures and numbers?

MS BRUCE: Well, I won’t share numbers with you, but what I can tell you – and you know this having covered this situation —

QUESTION: Right.

MS BRUCE: — that Israel has been honest about the nature of what it’s been doing and why as it fights for its security and in its own defense. And there is – if you’re getting a report from Israel about the nature of what has moved into the region, I would suggest that you should take that report seriously. I think that everyone knows that the eyes of the world are on that region, and at the same time the story is – what I would argue – is, as opposed to the numbers, is the fact that aid is moving in to Gaza. And it’s interesting to me, Said, that that is something that I’ve talked with you and we’ve even had some sort of fights about, and that isn’t something that has been recognized. But I’ll do that recognizing and that’s what the real story is.

Yes, sir, in the back.

QUESTION: Yeah, thank you. Thank you, Tammy. A Kurdish delegation led by KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani is in town. They have signed two energy deals with the U.S. companies valued at 110 billion U.S. dollars. These two deals have been rejected by the Iraqi Government. I’m wondering if you have any comments and reaction to that. And do you have anything to share with us about his scheduled meeting with Secretary Rubio tomorrow?

MS BRUCE: Well, I can tell you that we were pleased to see Prime Minister Barzani sign massive deals with U.S. companies to expand natural gas production in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, which will help Iraq harness its own domestic resources to become energy independent, which we’ve, again, talked about. It’s really great. We’ve talked about these things. Often I can’t give you answers – we don’t know when it’s going to happen – and then to be able to report to you that it has happened. And that is a key administration priority. Being energy independent is obviously a major national security issue. And so these deals – I think it’s like over a hundred billion dollars —

QUESTION: Hundred and ten.

MS BRUCE: Yes. And it’s – that’s what we’ve all been working for. So we support these deals and we have encouraged Baghdad and Erbil to work together to get gas production to commence as soon as possible. At the same time, we have of course the declaration that these are null and void, right?

QUESTION: Yeah.

MS BRUCE: Now, these – this is the kind of shenanigans that can be a problem. But we also know that – I’ll give you a sense of our relationship with Kurdistan. The Kurdistan Regional Government prime minister and his visit to the United States signals our desire to strengthen the U.S. relationship with the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, and as you’ve noted, Secretary Rubio will meet with KRG Prime Minister Barzani to discuss expanding trade and investment between the United States and the Iraqi Kurdistan Region.

He has also stated – Secretary Rubio – that we support the Kurdish autonomy and the U.S. companies doing business there and urge the Government of Iraq to respect this economic lifeline that is necessary to prosper and succeed. We believe that U.S., Iraqi, and Iraqi Kurdish interests are best served by having a strong and resilient Iraqi Kurdistan Region within a sovereign and prosperous federal Iraq.

QUESTION: Thank you so much.

MS BRUCE: All right. Yes, sir. Yes.

QUESTION: I’d like to follow up on the Harvard issue. And —

MS BRUCE: Well, I won’t have much more, but you’re welcome to do it.

QUESTION: You deferred to DHS.

MS BRUCE: Sure.

QUESTION: But in a bigger picture, presumably the United States wants to attract the best and the brightest insofar as foreigners, students, immigrants, and these top-tier universities are one of the most prominent ways to do that. So do you think prohibiting Harvard to enroll foreign students kind of gets in the way of that goal?

MS BRUCE: Well, again, I can’t speak to Secretary Noem’s plans and strategy and her decision to implement this. What I would argue is that we have an interest as a nation, as President Trump has spoken to quite often – that we have an interest as a nation for these universities that are supposed to be the gold standard to actually deliver people who are educated and can function in society and – on campuses that encourage a learning environment as opposed to one of left-wing activism, where you have individuals leaving the university level in this country as our rates are declining when it comes to comprehension in reading and a whole host of other things, that we – it has to be more than just a label or a brand. It has to deliver results for the families that do pay a lot of money for it.

And I think that there’s a point, as you’ve seen – I think it’s obvious from the Trump Administration – with the federal money that flows into those coffers and the nature of the kind of talent – you could speak about foreign talent; let’s speak about American talent. You’ve got a wonderful kid who’s done very, very well, and then you send them to Harvard and the kid comes home and you don’t even recognize them. And they’re definitely primed to be a fabulous left-wing activist, but they’re maybe not going to be able to get a job.

And so this is a recognition and movement that universities around this country are recognizing, that American families have standards. We spend money so our children can be educated in the normal function of life, and we get kids back who have not received the kind of education we expected. COVID highlighted this for many of us, but I think that this opens up a conversation, as it should, between the federal government and the universities that we rely on and have been proud of that we deserve to be proud of them again. And if we’re going to speak about who we rely on for the best and the brightest, there’s plenty of American kids who also deserve to be taken seriously. And I believe that we can handle all of them properly.

Yes, sir.

QUESTION: Thank you – thanks very much. My question is on U.S.-India relations. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Trump both are very famous in India. As far as U.S. policies are concerned, most Indians are – agree with both of them.

MS BRUCE: I hear you’re pretty famous in India.

QUESTION: (Laughter.) Yes, I am.

MS BRUCE: All right. Keep going.

QUESTION: My question is, Madam —

MS BRUCE: Yes, sir.

QUESTION: — as far as terrorism against India recently in the state of Kashmir is concerned, innocent Indians were – tourists were massacred there.

MS BRUCE: Yes. Oh, yes, we all know that.

QUESTION: Yes, ma’am. My question is that as far as talking with the Pakistanis is concerned, India’s prime minister, Mr. Narendra Modi, and also foreign minister, Mr. Jaishankar, both met with the Secretary Rubio and the President.

MS BRUCE: Yes.

QUESTION: What they are saying is that as long as terrorism is continue against India – what they said – by Pakistan supporters inside – that they have training centers inside Pakistan.

MS BRUCE: Well, here’s what I can – here’s what I can say.

QUESTION: Talks – sorry.

MS BRUCE: And this is – and I understand your point and what has been a generational concern about violence and terrorism in that region, certainly, with the troubles between India and Pakistan – is that there is a ceasefire. Obviously we know – very close to full-scale war erupting, and what’s very exciting and heartening is that America’s involvement and assistance made a difference in that stopping and a ceasefire that has continued, but of course, within that one expects, as the world noticed, again, that that has not been resolved, that the potential of having these long-term problems resolved has returned. And it is an opportunity, and the good news is – is that unlike some other regions, there has been a commitment to a ceasefire that makes – oh, is that my alarm? (Laughter.) Thank you. I should ask you to put on your alarms. It’s like, oh, Tammy’s done.

All right, we’re going to have – we’re going to have —

QUESTION: Follow up on —

QUESTION: On Bangladesh?

MS BRUCE: We’re – all right, we’ll have one more. In the green jacket, in the back. Yes, ma’am.

QUESTION: Thank you, Tammy.

MS BRUCE: Make sure her mike is on – just that she’s in the back here. The sound here is —

QUESTION: Yeah – two quick questions – two quick. Do you have any update on the peace deal agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, when we will see this peace deal signed? And also can you tell us if both presidents – President Ramaphosa of South Africa and President Trump – finally managed to overcome the difference and we will see United States and South Africa working together?

MS BRUCE: Well, I’ll answer that one first. I think the meeting with the South African president in the Oval Office speaks to President Trump’s generosity, and the fact that any leader feels comfortable going to meet him, even with difficult conversations and sometimes the problems that happen between two nations with different attitudes. So the fact that it’s President Trump means, of course, there’s always hope. It means, of course, there’ll always be something for the future.

And speaking of the DRC and Rwanda, another very good example of something that has been a generational issue that we are – again, it’s a long process, but they are taking the steps that we’ve asked of them to take, and that’s also very promising. We can look for an update when it comes to what the new dates are and what else is expected. But what I can tell you is is that that continues. Another great change in dynamic – sometimes, though, people forget and don’t continue to ask – and I appreciate that you did – because there isn’t any drama, because there – that things are changing for the better. So it causes less news, right? It – there’s less interest. But it’s worth following up as we watch these particular issues resolve, as of course the news is taken up by other issues.

But this administration is committed across the board to peace and prosperity, and it seems the world is giving them a lot of chances to act on that.

We – do we do – we do one more? One more. Yes, sir.

QUESTION: One —

MS BRUCE: My Italian friend right there.

QUESTION: Two more.

QUESTION: Yeah. Thank you. Yeah, indeed, one is on – about Italy – actually, the Vatican. So —

MS BRUCE: I was there, yeah. Beautiful place.

QUESTION: Yes. I know you —

MS BRUCE: Beautiful place. Very moving.

QUESTION: You were there. And there was also some conversation with Parolin, which is Vatican secretary of state. So are we seeing this conversation because we also have an American pope that can actually better deal with our President? And how close are we to actually the negotiation at the Vatican? And then I have a second question on Russia.

MS BRUCE: Well – yes, obviously, the world – the condition of the world existed before our new Pope Leo. I’m not a Catholic but I’m very moved by the nature of that faith, and it was just a beautiful experience to be there. But I can tell you that, of course, the plans and the conversations with the pope himself and certainly other leaders there was important – it always would be. If you’re going to be in Italy for any reason and you’re the leader of the free world or the Secretary of State of the free world, you want to meet with these people. This is why they’re in their positions, is for that reason.

So I think that that’s – it’s not because Pope Leo is an American. However, it’s pretty terrific, and it’s a reminder that your commitment and your faith and – it can lead you anywhere. And so we, of course, pray for him – success as he moves forward with his duties.

And your – the rest of your question?

QUESTION: Yeah, I have a question about Russia. I mean, not about Russia, about – I’m so sorry —

MS BRUCE: Good.

QUESTION: — about the different approach that we’re seeing from this administration when it come to diplomacy. We saw with – yesterday with South Africa and then with Zelenskyy (inaudible) effective —

MS BRUCE: Well, and I think you’re seeing – I would – I would – I would go as – this will be my – the last answer here – is that we’re seeing —

QUESTION: It’s (inaudible) effective.

MS BRUCE: — different envoys, different styles; ambassadors, the Secretary of State, the President on the phone. Because you have to do that when you’re not simply setting up meetings every three, four, or six weeks; that you’re having meetings to make specific steps and have specific progress, and deadlines about – because you’re a businessperson and you know what’s possible, or you know humanity and you know what’s possible. When he says we need to have new ideas – for Gaza, as an example. He really means that for everything, for how we conduct diplomacy. The Secretary, of course, is on board with that; it’s natural for him. Traditional diplomacy: going, talking, getting deliverables, making sure the relationship is active and alive. And that is how you bond, you make friends, and your relationships with other countries are better.

So the Secretary operates in that fashion, but yes, there’s a huge difference in that we are on – well, certainly we have now, what, three and a half years? You have people who want to make a difference. It’s not just having fun in an office; it’s changing people’s lives for an endurable period of time so that we, our generation – I’m seeing some younger people in this room, of course, always – but for our generation, my generation, that we can think we did everything we could and have had some success in making things better.

That’s the Trump Administration. That will be its legacy. And it’s an honor to be here, and thank you all very much. I appreciate it. I’ll see you on – I’ll see you on – what is today?

QUESTION: Thursday.

QUESTION: (Inaudible.)

MS BRUCE: I’ll see you on – the trip, it’s like, oh my gosh. I thought I was waking up in a hotel today, but I wasn’t.

QUESTION: Thank you.

MS BRUCE: Thank you, guys. Thank you. Great to see you. Appreciate it.

(The briefing was concluded at 3:05 p.m.)

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