State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce held a press briefing after Secretary of State Marco Rubio unveiled a major reorganization plan.
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00:00I appreciate you being here.
00:05All right, an announcement, I think rather an important one for certainly all of you here and everyone watching at home and certainly everyone here at the State Department.
00:17Welcome aboard.
00:18Today, under President Trump's leadership and at the direction of Secretary Rubio, we are reversing decades of bloat and bureaucracy at the State Department.
00:27The Secretary announced a reorganization plan to build an America first State Department to meet the challenges of a new era.
00:36He has issued the following statement on the plan, which you can get at state department DEPT or how is it dot gov?
00:48State dot gov is where you can get this statement and links to other information on what we're about to discuss.
00:54We are facing tremendous challenges across the globe to deliver on President Trump's America first foreign policy.
01:03We must make the State Department great again.
01:06In its current form, the Department is bloated, bureaucratic and unable to perform its essential diplomatic mission in this new era of great power competition.
01:15Over the past 15 years, the Department's footprint has had unprecedented growth and costs have soared.
01:24But far from seeing a return to investment, taxpayers have seen less effective and less efficient diplomacy.
01:32The sprawling bureaucracy created a system more beholden to radical political ideology than advancing America's core national interests.
01:42That is why today Secretary Rubio is announcing a comprehensive reorganization plan that will bring the Department into the 21st century.
01:52This approach will empower the Department from the ground up, from the bureaus to the embassies.
01:57Region-specific functions will be consolidated to increase functionality.
02:02Redundant offices will be removed.
02:04And non-statutory programs that are misaligned with America's core national interests will cease to exist.
02:11Under President Trump's leadership, we have a Commander-in-Chief committed to putting America and Americans first.
02:18As his Secretary of State, Secretary Rubio, announces that he is, in fact, confident,
02:24a reformed State Department will meet the moment and help make our country great once again.
02:31So the bottom line here is that these sweeping changes will empower our talented diplomats to put America and Americans first.
02:38It is also, I will remind, for those of you who are in the bullpen and those watching at home,
02:44as I've mentioned before, there's a number of journalists and organizations that are a member of our bullpen.
02:49They're people who cover the State Department and work here in the building.
02:53And we had a discussion earlier today with some more background on this,
02:56that also for State Department personnel, everyone in the building,
03:00will be receiving, of course, this statement.
03:03And there is an opinion piece that is available from the Secretary at the new State Department Substack link.
03:12And that is state, D-E-P-T dot substack dot com.
03:17Is that it?
03:18Go there and it will ask if you want to subscribe.
03:21You don't have to.
03:21You can just click on the title and you'll get additional commentary from the Secretary in this regard.
03:26Also, for everyone in this building, there is additional information.
03:31There is a fact sheet.
03:32There are frequently asked questions.
03:34There's an additional statement from the Deputy Secretary Landau.
03:38So you will be able to see that as well.
03:40And as a reminder again, because I know there's been a lot of fake news out there,
03:45this is a reorganization plan.
03:47It is not something where people are being fired today.
03:53They're not, you know, no one's going to be walking out of the building.
03:56It's not that kind of a dynamic.
03:58It is a roadmap.
04:01It's a plan.
04:02It is something that we've, there's been a congressional notice that has been sent.
04:07And so the steps and the procedures that happen through the government are also taking place at this point as well.
04:13And at this stage, I will open it up for questions on this issue.
04:19Yes, John.
04:21Thanks.
04:22If you don't mind, just obviously the list of questions, just make sure we get to it.
04:27The Russians said that, are saying that Special Envoy Witkoff is coming back.
04:31All right, so we're doing, that's a different issue.
04:33Let's stick with this.
04:34If we, I, it's interesting, if none of you have any questions about this.
04:38No, no, we certainly have questions.
04:39Yeah, so I mean, I mean, questions about this.
04:41And then, of course, I know, Lord knows, there's many other things that are happening as well.
04:45All right.
04:46Yes, go ahead.
04:47Just on the hiring freeze and the way that this affects the folding in of USAID to the State Department.
04:52How, you know, given the fact that these people are not considered State Department employees,
04:56what opportunities, if any, are going to be given to them to be able to reapply or not for their position?
05:01Sure.
05:02First of all, the USAID fold in, that in a way is kind of the genesis of this, right?
05:07We knew that was going to happen.
05:08USAID was going to become a part of the State Department.
05:12And in this framework, what you'll see, and it makes, I think, perfect sense,
05:15and people seeing this will see that it makes sense,
05:18is that instead of this monolithic entity that was, you know, its own object in Washington, D.C.,
05:24making decisions about aid and where the money would go,
05:28the usual experience, and I've experienced this with the Secretary's travels and his conversations
05:33with the leaders and also our own embassy and consulate staffs,
05:38is that you would have donations or funding for a project that the country itself was not interested in
05:45or did not want and had other needs, that the embassy staff or the ambassador was never consulted,
05:52that the opinions of the people who are working in the country were not consulted.
05:56So they would see money going into a nation, as an example,
05:59put in to fund something that was even, in some cases, detrimental to the nation that we were working with
06:06or opposed by an ambassador, and yet there was no input and no action.
06:10In this particular kind of reorg, it's about consolidating things, right?
06:16Weaving certain offices into other bureaus, making the situation smaller, reorganizing it, literally.
06:23And in that case, you will see the bureaus, which used to have a lot of power,
06:28but it really kind of lost that in a certain way through the giant bureaucracy that became evident
06:35through the 70s and 80s and 90s.
06:38And that you would have a dynamic now where the intention is, and described in this plan,
06:44to have each regional bureau have the element of the U.S. aid that is relevant to that bureau
06:51so that they would be working together and it would be a coalition, if you will,
06:57of ideas and minds and efforts to then also bring in and have the embassies,
07:03the ambassadors, and the governments who are working with having a say
07:07and making sure that the money that's donated is relevant to that nation,
07:10is relevant to the region.
07:12And that's where U.S. aid essentially is going, is into positions where, as I've mentioned to you,
07:20as we were doing our review of U.S. aid, is don't mistake a change for indicating something is gone or missing,
07:29that it was never about us abandoning our commitment to funding any kind of lifesaving efforts
07:37or our work with other nations in assisting them.
07:41But it was going to look different.
07:42And now it will.
07:44But it will not just look different, but it's actually going to be within a functional framework
07:48to make sure that any aid that goes out is aid that we work with the nation on,
07:54that we work with the embassies on,
07:55and people on the ground with an interest who are stakeholders will have a say in that.
08:00I think that that's certainly a much more functional way to move foreign aid through.
08:04But on the employees themselves, they were already sort of in limbo in terms of how their jobs were going to change
08:08when the department was going to be taking over the USAID,
08:11are those employees going to have the opportunities to apply for other positions?
08:15How many people?
08:16Well, some will.
08:16Some will.
08:17So, again, this is a proposal.
08:19This obviously could change.
08:21But as you have offices that are cut or even some bureaus that were set up for a specific situation
08:27that end up being cut entirely,
08:29that you will have people who then, foreign service officers, career workers, et cetera,
08:35being able to apply for something else.
08:38So these are a – it's a dynamic where you've got a certain number of open seats that exist,
08:43and then people who, of course, will then be out of the seat where they were
08:47if, in fact, their office is cut or even folded in to another bureau.
08:52So these are – again, this is, again, a roadmap, and it's a dynamic where, as we've said in the past,
08:59certain dynamics where people – and this is new for me as somebody who's never worked for government,
09:04very much in a way like the military, where you can be working for the State Department,
09:09working in a specific, let's say, embassy overseas, and then that job ends,
09:15and then you come home and you get slotted into a new job.
09:17That, I think, for the American people, maybe for large corporations, that makes sense.
09:23But that's how it works here.
09:25When, of course, that's possible.
09:27So that is possible, and we will clearly watch that as it plays out.
09:32Yes, sir.
09:32Thank you very much, Tammy.
09:34You said things will – you said things will look different, and thank you for that response.
09:37Sure.
09:38But I think a lot of people around the world will be wondering what it is –
09:42especially perhaps in the Middle East, Africa,
09:44what it will actually mean for them on the ground.
09:48How will these changes take effect?
09:50Will we see offices over there that are being closed, consulates and so on?
09:53Can you talk a little bit about what people around the world can actually expect?
09:57Well, I can't speak to – it's a very separate issue, right?
10:00This is an organizational roadmap for this department here, right, in Washington, D.C.
10:07The arguments about what will occur in other countries, you're talking about embassies and consulates.
10:13That's not addressed here.
10:14It's not a factor that this reorg doesn't affect them, except, as I've mentioned, is more involvement, right?
10:23More direct – person-to-person framework, as opposed to bureaucracy-to-bureaucracy.
10:28No more calling up USAID and going through, you know, 17 messages and trying to get an answer back about what's happening with a certain grant or what's happening with a certain plan.
10:38That this is really, in a way that I think I've heard many people here note, including the secretary and the deputy secretary, of returning the State Department to its traditional base, to the nature of human diplomacy, of getting things done.
10:56And, my goodness, especially in the 21st century, that moved so rapidly, faster than any other time in history.
11:04And this is what the State Department used to be able to do.
11:07It has grown, as the secretary's statements indicated, quite bloated, unable to move, stuck in really just a – just a bloated inability, bureaucratically, to make decisions or to get things done.
11:25And if decisions are made, the levels that have to be gone through extend the amount of time to where you can get a decision made.
11:32So, I would say for embassies and consulates and the world itself, as they're already seeing, when it comes to the way that President Trump operates, the way that Secretary Rubio operates, it's about faster results with, I think, a more nimble effort.
11:48All right.
11:49Yes, Humira.
11:50Thank you, Tammy.
11:51Thank you, Tammy.
11:52So, in the reorg, we see that the undersecretary for civilian security, democracy, human rights, as known as J inside the State Department, seems to have been eliminated.
12:02And some of the bureaus under that is being put under – brought under different undersecretaries.
12:09But, for example, Office of Global Criminal Justice, which works on monitoring atrocities overseas, which cooperates with different governments on war crimes, accountability, seems to be completely eliminated.
12:23So, I'm wondering, this undersecretaria was a place where U.S. basically did democracy and rights promotion globally.
12:36Mm-hmm.
12:37Does the new State Department under President Trump no longer see that as a mission?
12:43Is that no longer a priority?
12:46Sure.
12:47Yeah.
12:48I mean, it's a legitimate question.
12:50Again, we've grown used to seeing something, and then that would indicate that's where that lives, and if that's gone, the effort is gone.
12:57You know, many times during the USAID argument – I've made that argument – just because the USAID building was going to be something else doesn't mean –
13:05or that the certain aid was cut that was not aligned with our vision or President Trump's vision doesn't mean that our commitment to foreign aid ended.
13:16So, you're right.
13:17There are going to be certain offices and certain bureaus that are going to be gone or folded into other bureaus.
13:23I would say this is one of the most important aspects of this for everyone in the building and everyone watching at home.
13:30Because you might have had a specific bureau that dealt with a discrete issue doesn't mean because it's now folded into another larger bureau.
13:42It doesn't mean that it's gone or we don't care.
13:45It means that, in fact, certain issues deserve to be considered part – not like some specialized, separate, segregated interest.
13:54Why shouldn't that interest be in every bureau, right?
13:59If you've got bureaus that – and for people watching at home, as I mentioned I think in my very first briefing –
14:06that the State Department isn't just a bunch of people at a desk looking at the Internet and people figuring out what it is they want to say to a world leader.
14:15There's bureaus filled with people who care about the country, the State Department, and are experts, researchers, individuals who are committed to a certain region, who understand it,
14:30who have also, though, the relationships with people in the countries in that region.
14:35And then they inform us.
14:37They do the research.
14:38They inform me for this briefing.
14:41I go onto the screen and it's every bureau in this building that has what we call lines, which is the information about what's happening on an issue.
14:52They tell me what those things are, why it matters, et cetera.
14:57So I come here and a great deal of what I say to you, if not most, is from the body of knowledge from the people who work in this building, who are the foreign service officers, the career people, right?
15:10The career people, the civil service officers and workers who are here.
15:16So that's how this it is.
15:19It is.
15:20The government as a whole is is people.
15:22It is a collection of people who've gathered to further the founders vision and who, with each election, gather to further the vision of the person who leads this government.
15:34So when we think about the nature of USAID or those other bureaus you mentioned, if a bureau is gone, that is certainly all these issues are important.
15:45It means that we're looking at certainly blending in with the regional bureaus, taking certain issues away from being specialty issues and making sure that they're in the frameworks of the bureau so that they can be weaved in and dealt with as a whole within all the work.
16:02Yes, of course.
16:03Just a follow-up on Ukraine?
16:04Please.
16:05Oh, wait.
16:06No.
16:07Next, once we can do this.
16:08Okay, I do have a follow-up on this too.
16:09Okay, then.
16:10Hold it, but I'll make sure I give it to you guys.
16:11We're good.
16:12You said earlier that you talked about some of the programs and you described them as the aims of the programs were not in line with the aims of the country.
16:21Now, there are countries – like, U.S. has made democracy promotion a priority, but that priority actually did not go down well with some of the countries in the world.
16:31So if a country, for example – a lot of people would give the example of Hungary – I mean, U.S. has funded some independent media organizations in Hungary.
16:46If those are in contradiction with Hungary's goals, U.S. is no longer going to do that kind of thing?
16:51No, it's not – without, of course, speculating on what we would do in a particular country.
16:54The point is, is that American tax dollars that are sent as aid or to supplement something in another country deserves to be used to reflect the values and the interests of the United States, which, of course, is democracy and freedom around the world.
17:10I think it's safe to say that with all of our actions, certainly the Trump administration, we have made it clear that that is our priority.
17:16But also, making sure that the ambassadors who are also appointed, who are representing this nation in countries and others who work at the consulates, in concert with the nation that we are working with diplomatically,
17:31that we have a coalition, if you will, on knowing how that money is being spent and making sure that the stakeholders actually have a say.
17:40I think that's fair. Some people would argue that sending money into a country spending on something that nobody else discussed, like as USAID would do, is unfair.
17:51And that the people in the country that we're working with should have a say. But bottom line is, this now moves into something that is more accountable, more specific, easier to describe, easier to ask questions about,
18:06and easier effectively to – for everyone involved here at the State Department and at the embassies and consulates involved – more accessible and more transparent.
18:16All right. Yes.
18:17I just wanted to follow up on Humira on global criminal justice.
18:22Sure.
18:23Because there seems to be a bit of a mixed message. Because on the one hand, this is clearly being eliminated from the organizational chart. But when we're pressing you on it, you're saying –
18:30Well, it may be moved. I mean, if you don't see it on the chart, it may be moved.
18:34But I – and then the Secretary has retweeted an article which says very specifically that this is an aggressive shakeup. It will close agency offices, including those launched to further human rights,
18:45advanced democracy overseas, counter extremism, and prevent war crimes.
18:48Mm-hmm.
18:49So it's just a simple question, really. Is it – is the investigation and prevention of war crimes overseas still an important piece of work and a priority for the State Department?
18:57Of course.
18:58Democracy is always important, obviously. And again, going – and I understand the tendency.
19:03I understand the tendency. War crimes – again, for me, being here now, we're approaching about 100 days.
19:09My deciding to do this is based on this nation's history and it clearly is committed to the nature of the values of the American people and of this country.
19:18And just because – and this is why I think it's difficult to do – you've seen a bureau dedicated just to that.
19:24Just because it has been folded into a different bureau or is an element underneath a different kind of office and that particular bureau that was maybe specialized,
19:36which could be implemented in a better, more nimble, faster way, especially when we're talking about war crimes and things immediately that are moving on the ground.
19:46This is the kind of adjustment and reorganization that makes it better. And that – this will always be the argument. This will be seen.
19:55But it is – it is, of course, those values that you know are American values remain. And while the approach or the bureaus or an office might be called something differently or – or even eliminated as an office, but is moved through the bureau as a whole,
20:13you'll see that the American approach to the world not only remains the same, but will be more obvious, more clear, more dynamic, and more active.
20:23Do you know where will that role move to? Because it is very hard to see in the chart, for example, on war crimes or global criminal justice, where that will now exist.
20:30Well, but again, this is a roadmap. It is a plan. This is something that in this process – and there is a process in this government – where there may be certain things that change.
20:39And there will be a point where we're talking about implementation. So those details – this gives you, I think, a very good idea, transparently, for everyone who's watching this, that this is a change.
20:50It is – the issue is certainly – sometimes we all know that change is difficult. But in this particular case, it had to happen because of the bulk, because of the unsustainability of the size of the government.
21:03And that's why we're doing it. All right. Yes, sir.
21:07Thank you, Tammy. Two questions. I know this came up on different settings. Just wanted to make sure –
21:11MS NAUERT- It's the same issue.
21:12Yes.
21:13To get you on the record that this will not impact whatsoever when it comes to the Department's reports on different issues like human rights, which appears to be –
21:21MS NAUERT- Well, I can't – I'm not going to speculate on whatsoever impact on how a report is issued, when it's issued, the content of the report, the nature of how our discussing human rights is done,
21:31I will not – all of that would require speculation here beyond, I think, the reorganization report.
21:39And my second question – I know that – I guess the spokesperson's role will be promoted. Congratulations on that.
21:44But I want to understand – with the GEC – closure of GEC recently –
21:49MS NAUERT- GEC, yes.
21:50MS NAUERT- Global Engagement Center.
21:51MS NAUERT- Yes, that's a very good question. Yeah.
21:53And also, you know, eliminating some of the fundings, like, you know, grants to Moldova to fight against –
21:58MS NAUERT- Well –
21:59MS NAUERT- Russian disinformation. Is the issue of Russian disinformation or Chinese disinformation –
22:03MS NAUERT- Mm-hmm.
22:04MS NAUERT- Is this something that you are concerned about, or are you out of business of combating?
22:08MS NAUERT- Well, I – it's obvious that everyone's concerned about interference in elections.
22:13None of us want that. But, of course, the specifics of how a reorganizational roadmap is not going to –
22:19I'm not going to be able to answer the question about how that would be affected, of course.
22:24But – and your other question was –
22:26MS NAUERT- Russian disinformation –
22:27MS NAUERT- Chinese and Russian disinformation –
22:28MS NAUERT- No, there was a different one.
22:29MS NAUERT- And your office will be promoted –
22:31MS NAUERT- Well, it's – it's – it's – it's – yeah, and this is, I think, a bit in the weeds for people at home.
22:35I mean, there's an organizational chart. My office is now answerable to the Secretary, which, of course, all of you probably already presume that – if that's true.
22:43MS NAUERT- But now, technically, it's – it sits within that umbrella. So, nothing has really changed in that regard, except it's – it's a little bit more specific and obvious when it comes to the nature of my work.
22:56MS NAUERT- Well, I – you know, forgive me. I'm going to move on. I was also going to ask – answer your first question, which –
23:03MS NAUERT- The GEC.
23:05MS NAUERT- The GEC. Thank you. He remembered. In fact, that's a good question, because things beyond this roadmap will also happen. That bureau has been eliminated. Things will change in the State Department separate from this roadmap. That bureau, which had been ordered to be removed last fall, what they did is they changed.
23:25MS NAUERT- It's name and moved people around. And so that, of course, by eliminating that bureau at $50 million a year – perfect example – that worked to censor the American public.
23:38That is not certainly the vision of the Trump administration or the American people who put him in office. So, yes, that bureau is gone. It is really gone this time. And the American people are better off for it.
23:51MS NAUERT- Can I just ask one quick question?
23:52MS NAUERT- Yes, of course you can.
23:53MS NAUERT- On this process.
23:54MS NAUERT- Yes.
23:55MS NAUERT- There's an internal State Department memo that was put out about this that said that the undersecretaries are going to be submitting a path to reduce domestic staff by 15 percent. Can you just help us understand how the leadership in charge of this reorg came up with the 15 percent number? And if there's any wiggle room there?
24:16MS NAUERT- Well, I said this is an internal document. I'm not going to speak on something that you may or may – I'm not going to presume you didn't see something, so forgive me.
24:23MS NAUERT- But I'm not going to speak on the specifics of something like that. But the undersecretaries do have a role here. This is, again, not from on high things being swept away with one of those large yard brooms. This is a very specific dynamic brought to the undersecretaries who have daily operational experience. I see you. Keep your hand down, please. I'm sorry. It's a little distracting.
24:47MS NAUERT- These are undersecretaries who are working daily with the people in this building, who work in this building, who know what's being produced, who know what has to happen.
24:57MS NAUERT- And they are best suited to make a determination when it comes to this roadmap about how to apply the nature of what we want to accomplish. So the undersecretaries are directly involved.
25:10MS NAUERT- And they will – I think they'll have about 30 days to make their own plan in this framework. And then, of course, we'll see how that manifests in the meantime.
25:20MS NAUERT- And then just one quick question.
25:21MS NAUERT- Sure.
25:22MS NAUERT- Was DOGE involved at all on this plan, or was this just a State Department proposal?
25:27MS NAUERT- No, this, I think, is a very good example of the importance – you know, we know the American people love the result of DOGE.
25:34MS NAUERT- I think there were some questions, perhaps, about how it was applied. And what we do know is that the DOGE approach, the goal of that entity and of that committee, is something the President appreciated and still does, as do the American people very much.
25:52MS NAUERT- But when – I believe – the President said a few weeks ago that, ultimately, this was going to be an approach that the secretaries were going to begin to apply.
26:02MS NAUERT- And also, that does make sense, because whether it's the secretaries or the undersecretaries or the people running the offices, it is a daily – the daily work of individuals committed to the country making a difference for the world.
26:15MS NAUERT- And the people on the ground working together know best about how this works, what could change, and how it should change.
26:23MS NAUERT- So, this is, I think, a very good example of the continuation of that mission and the value of that mission to cut government down to size, get people used to the idea that it can happen without it being, you know, a bad thing, and then watching the benefits that flow.
26:42MS NAUERT- So, secretaries now in charge of this.
26:45MS NAUERT- Remember, this is a – from an executive order.
26:47MS NAUERT- This is a whole of government.
26:48MS NAUERT- Every department looking at how they can make their department more efficient, less burdensome, less bureaucratic.
26:56MS NAUERT- This is the State Department's version of that.
26:59MS NAUERT- I would say that – that DOGE is not in charge of this, but this is the result of what we've learned and the fact that we appreciate the results,
27:11and we want more of those results, and it is now in the hands of the secretaries as well.
27:16MS NAUERT- Mm-hmm.
27:17MS NAUERT- All right.
27:18MS NAUERT- All right.
27:19All right.
27:20Sean.
27:21MS NAUERT- All right.
27:22Now, are we done here?
27:23So, we should switch to some other important topics we have.
27:26As a matter of fact, one of my rules is, of course, our friend Caroline Levitt.
27:30We'll be starting in about 10 to 15 minutes.
27:33I started earlier here because of the nature of the issues, but there are some other issues on our plate.
27:38Shall we start with some other ones at this point?
27:40Sure.
27:41MS NAUERT- Sean, go ahead.
27:42You were first.
27:43Sure.
27:44Not that I'm not interested in the reorganization.
27:45MS NAUERT- Yes.
27:46Could I ask you – Russia said today that – or Russian state media said that special envoy
27:50Woodcock will be on his way to Moscow.
27:51Is that something you can confirm?
27:52And if so, could you explain the natures of his discussions this time?
27:55MS NAUERT- I can't confirm that, no.
27:57Cannot.
27:58MS NAUERT- I cannot.
27:59Is it incorrect or is it –
28:00MS NAUERT- I can't speak to that.
28:01Okay.
28:02MS NAUERT- Yes.
28:03That's – yeah, that's not something I can speak to.
28:06Okay.
28:07Could I ask you about the secretary's schedule?
28:09MS NAUERT- Sure.
28:10Just – if I'm not mistaken, you're on Fox earlier this morning.
28:13And you mentioned some – the potential of travel.
28:15MS NAUERT- Right.
28:16Sure.
28:17Could you just explain his –
28:18MS NAUERT- Yes.
28:19You know, there's – and there's normally when we have travel scheduled, you guys get an announcement.
28:23And there was no announcement.
28:25And I was asked – and I had known that this was possible and had mentioned it presuming
28:30it would – it would happen.
28:32The – the – as we know, Secretary Rubio is a busy man.
28:37He is one of the most active, if not the most active, secretary of state I think we've
28:42had.
28:43And that, of course, affects every day for him.
28:46And so when there's certain plans, you know, they're – you know, conditional.
28:51And in this particular instance, while the meetings in London are still occurring, he
28:56will not be attending.
28:57But that is not a statement regarding the meetings.
29:00It's a statement about logistical issues in his schedule.
29:03Can you confirm that he will participate from the U.S.?
29:05MS NAUERT- Well, I do know, yes, that General Kellogg is there.
29:08And so he will be having those conversations.
29:12So we look forward to hearing back from him about whether or not we've had some success
29:17in London.
29:18Just briefly for me.
29:19MS NAUERT- I'm sorry?
29:20On the U.S. Constitution.
29:21MS NAUERT- All right.
29:22You know what?
29:23That is another issue.
29:24And I will get back to you in a moment.
29:26But we've had several other people who've been waiting to deal with that.
29:30But let me – yeah, that – yeah, I think that that's – I think that's all I can
29:36say to you about London at this point.
29:37Could you just briefly – the Secretary on Friday said that – essentially that, you
29:41know, we're going to see within days whether it's – his exact words, whether it's
29:45possible to go forward with negotiating an end to the war.
29:49Is that something that General Kellogg is going to be looking at now?
29:52Is this really the time?
29:53MS NAUERT- Well, you know, what we all look to is President Trump's approach.
29:55President Trump has expressed optimism about what's possible.
29:59And, of course, he has great envoys and a great Secretary of State who's been moving
30:03through to determine if that is, in fact, the case.
30:06President Trump wants this to be solved diplomatically.
30:09Obviously, he does not and does not believe – like, when it comes to, certainly, Ukraine
30:14and Russia, they've said multiple times – both of the Secretary and the President have
30:18said that this cannot be won militarily.
30:21And so they want diplomacy to work.
30:24The Secretary said a few weeks ago at NATO that it was a few weeks where we would determine,
30:29as we look to Russia based on their actions, not their words.
30:33And, of course, now a few weeks have gone by and we are in London.
30:37And I think it's about what will be reported, which we will know soon.
30:42But then that is also – the good news about being the Secretary of State is that he is the one who sees everything,
30:47can make the assessment of everything that's on the ground.
30:50And, of course, in partnership with the President, who is the visionary and the decider,
30:56that we'll make a determination about whether or not peace is possible.
31:00Yes, ma'am.
31:01The President of Colombia, Gustavo Preto, is claiming that he no longer has a visa to travel to the United States.
31:11Can you confirm that report and explain the justification, if he's right or not?
31:16Well, I can't do that.
31:18Of course, we don't speak about direct individual visa issues.
31:23Visa records are confidential for everyone.
31:27But we are aware of the reports.
31:29We're aware of what he said.
31:31What I can say is that our two countries have had opportunities to create a brighter future for our citizens
31:36through efforts aimed at targeting violent drug cartels that are now poisoning our citizens and destabilizing our region,
31:43creating economic opportunities that advance prosperity, and ending the regional crisis of illegal immigration.
31:50So that's what I know about our two countries.
31:53His comments are not something that I'll remark on.
31:57Can that?
31:58MS.
31:59All right.
32:00Yes, sir.
32:02I have a question about the Iranian talks.
32:03MS.
32:04I'm sorry about the?
32:05The Iranian talks.
32:06Yes.
32:07Do you have any updates about the third round with the Iranian?
32:09And how do you see the Iranian engagement with Russia and China when they are updating them,
32:14and talking and meeting with them about the negotiations that they have with you?
32:19And will there be the next round direct talks with them, or it's indirect still?
32:24MS.
32:25Well, again, these are diplomatic missions.
32:27I know I speak – often I have to say no to you when it comes to the questions you ask,
32:30because you're looking for some details, I understand, about the nature of what may or may not happen in an issue that the world cares about.
32:38But if it involves, of course, negotiations, diplomatic considerations, diplomatic conversations here between American leaders,
32:46I'm not going to remark on that.
32:48As far as what might be next, I have nothing new to report to you at this point.
32:52All right.
32:53Yes.
32:54Thanks, Amy.
32:55The Diplomatic Security Service says it's been assisting the Virginia Homeland Security Task Force in arresting undocumented migrants
33:02and some people who are connected to transnational gangs.
33:05I wonder if you could say more about the decision to have DSS jump in there, and whether you expect this collaboration to be ongoing,
33:12and if there's any concern that this will detract from the original mission.
33:16Well, good question, if that's accurate.
33:19And so I need to – we'll take that back, and I'll get back to you on that.
33:23And your question is going to be the last one, because we are just a few minutes to 1 o'clock.
33:28Thank you, everyone.
33:29We will have – I do want to let you know also for Thursday, my principal deputy, Tommy Piggott, will be briefing you for the first time.
33:38So that will be fun on Thursday.
33:42It's very – it's a very, very exciting time.
33:45Thank you, everyone.
33:46Appreciate it.
33:48Have a great rest of your day.
33:50Yeah.