'We've Got The Best People Working On It': State Department Spokesperson Defends Trump's Gaza Ceasefire 'Optimism'

State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce was asked about progress on Gaza ceasefire talks.

Transcript

00:00All right. Yes, Tom.

00:02Is there any update on Steve Witkoff's travel?

00:04He'd said in the cabinet meeting earlier this week,

00:06I think by the end of the week, he expects to go to Doha.

00:11So can you confirm whether or not that's happening?

00:14And just on what the president was saying last week,

00:18which was with quite a lot of certainty expecting a deal this week,

00:23what we should sort of read into the raising of expectations.

00:27Do you think that it's that close that now there will be a breakthrough by next week, for example?

00:34Well, on your question about Special Envoy Witkoff, the answer is no.

00:38I know it's a very short word with two letters.

00:41No, he's not traveling.

00:41I think it's the same in seven languages.

00:43Yeah, I have no update for you on his travel.

00:45But he might be traveling, but you don't have an update.

00:48Or no, he's not traveling.

00:49My comment, or lack thereof, is not a negative to your question that he's not traveling.

00:57The answer is that I don't have an update for you.

00:59Okay.

01:00I'm sorry about that.

01:01That's all right.

01:02Regarding, of course, the potential of a ceasefire,

01:06the president made clear that he was optimistic.

01:11And he's considering his lifelong experience,

01:15but certainly the experience over the last five months,

01:17and even certainly through his first term with the Abraham Accords, et cetera,

01:21and the nature of what's been going on in the Middle East.

01:23First, all of us understand that this is a difficult process.

01:28So when you are getting close, when you know the nature of the monsters in this case that you're dealing with,

01:34you have a general sense, and especially with how the Middle East has changed dramatically

01:38because of the action of the United States a few weekends ago,

01:42that the playing field is different.

01:45And so his optimism is based on the multitude of things that he knows that I don't.

01:51And I think that we should maintain the awareness of his opinion and the optimism that he has.

02:03He doesn't say it very often, so when he does, we need to take it seriously.

02:07But we do know that, of course, once again, this is an active zone,

02:12and we've got the best people working on it, and that's what we pledge to the United States.

02:16Can I just say that?