English transcript

Tommy, I, I want to ask you about this reporting

from the Associated Press, which claims that

the cuts to the State Department are limiting

the ability of the United States to handle the

conflict with Iran. Is it true?

Is it not true?

What's your response to this, uh, Associated

Press article?

That is not true at all. In fact, we spent many

hours talking with the Associated Press, walking

them through inaccuracy after inaccuracy in

their report. We gave it to them on the record

ahead of time, with detailed responses explaining

how the vague and inaccurate criticism they

were hearing from former officials wasn't true.

They decided to run with that report anyway.

There are, there has been no, uh, uh, effect

on our ability to help Americans in the Middle

East from a reorganization standpoint, except

for allowing us to do it better. We're able

to move quicker. We're able to adjust our security

posture at our posts, for example, immediately

based off of security conditions on the ground.

We have seen an unprecedented effort to help

the American people, instantaneously setting

up a 24/7 task force, implementing contingency

plans that were in place ahead of time. And

that leads to the most important part here,

which is the results that we've been able to

deliver for the American people. That 24/7 task

force directly assisting over 50,000 Americans

in the region with personalized travel, uh,

and security guidance based off of the direct

situation where they are. The fact that we've

actually seen more travel departure options

be available to Americans than demand for them.

The fact that we've seen 75,000 Americans be

able to safely return from the Middle East to

the United States. We have seen an unprecedented

effort here. That from the Associated Press,

that reporting, it's completely inaccurate.

We told them why it was inaccurate. And fundamentally,

the results here speak for themselves. The unprecedented

work of experienced professionals helping the

American people 24/7.