Baba UmarWashington, DC — Tammy Bruce, nominated by President Donald Trump to be America's deputy representative to the UN, has defended US policies on Gaza and Ukraine in her final press briefing as State Department spokeswoman, detailing Trump's achievements in over 200 days and calling him a "president of peace."
On Tuesday, Bruce highlighted the US role in mediating conflicts around the world, including a recent peace deal between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
She stated this achievement followed "negotiated peace arrangements" between Cambodia and Thailand, Israel and Iran, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, India and Pakistan, Egypt and Ethiopia, and Serbia and Kosovo, "in addition to the remarkable achievement of the Abraham Accords."
"Trump continues to prove that nations across the globe can move beyond long-standing conflicts of the past toward a shared future of peace, prosperity and success," she told reporters.
Bruce also announced the release of the US State Department's 2024 Human Rights Report, noting concerns over free speech in Europe and Asia, plus increased criticism of Brazil and South Africa.
The report's section on Israel was shorter than last year's and did not mention the severe humanitarian crisis or the death toll of approximately 62,000 Palestinians in Gaza.
Bruce declined to respond to specific questions about countries but stated that the report had been restructured to remove redundancy, increase readability, and be responsive to the legislative mandates underpinning the report, "rather than an expansive list of politically biased demands and assertions."
On killing of Gaza journalists
She refused to condemn Israel over the assassination of five Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza, including Anas al-Sharif, referring questions to Tel Aviv instead.
"Israel has released evidence that Sharif was part of Hamas and was supportive of the Hamas attack on October 7th. They're the ones who have the evidence. They're the ones who can be reached, and will hopefully talk with you and certainly talk with others who reach out to them," she claimed.
She praised war zone journalists, while accusing Hamas of embedding its members as journalists in Gaza.
She claimed, "I will remind you we're dealing with a complicated, horrible situation. Hamas historically has had members who are embedded in society, including posing as journalists. It is a horrible thing to do for those of you who are committed to finding information for people in that situation."
When asked by TRT World about the US role following the lynching of American-Palestinian Sayfollah Musallet by illegal Israeli settlers and the detention of another American, Mohammed Ibrahim, by Israel, Bruce responded, "We are certainly aware of those cases."
She added, "I'm not going into the details of actions we're talking diplomatically, what negotiations might exist. And there is really no higher concern for the State Department than the safety and well-being of American citizens."
Regarding Trump's upcoming summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, Bruce stated that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to prepare for Friday's summit, and both sides "confirmed their commitment to a successful event" during a call.
The summit will mark the first meeting between sitting Russian and US presidents since June 2021, and the first Russian presidential visit to Alaska since 1867.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European allies have voiced unease, with Zelenskyy noting Putin's "personal victory" in securing US talks.
Zelensky has voiced worries that Russia will make stringent demands and Trump will broker a deal requiring Ukraine to cede territory.
However, Bruce said Trump is on a fact-finding mission "to see exactly what was possible."
She cited Trump's comments, where he stated he would share any fair deal with EU and NATO leaders, as well as President Zelenskyy, whom he'd call first out of respect.
US-Pakistan ties
When asked if the meeting between Pakistan's Army Chief Asim Munir and President Trump, along with potential arms sales to Islamabad, is being conducted at the expense of Trump’s relationship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bruce mentioned Trump's phone call with leaders from both sides.
She asserted that the US brokered a truce between India and Pakistan during their four-day conflict in May, stating it "could have developed into something quite horrible."
Pakistan has acknowledged Trump's role, but India refutes US claims of mediating a truce.
Bruce noted the existing positive relations with both nations, highlighting Trump's diplomatic skills in bridging differences.
"I would say that our relationship with both nations is, as it has been, which is good, and that is the benefit of having a president who knows everyone, talks to everyone, and that is how we can bring differences together in this case," she said.
Citing the US-Pakistan Counterterrorism Dialogue, Bruce said the US and Pakistan "reaffirmed their shared commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations" during the latest round of talks in Islamabad.
"The US and Pakistan discussed ways to cooperate to counter terrorist threats, and I think that for the region and for the world, the US working with both those nations is good news and will promote a future that's beneficial on the subject of our relationships," she added.
