Tammy Bruce Praises President Trump For Securing The Release Of A US Citizen Detained In Belarus

During Thursday’s State Department press briefing, Spokesperson Tammy Bruce answered questions about wrongfully detained U.S. citizens.

Transcript

00:00Thank you. Related to 100 days, so wrongful detention. Yesterday, the Secretary, he said,

00:07quote, in the first 100 days of the 47th presidency, 47 wrongfully detained Americans have been

00:13returned to the United States thanks to the President's leadership. I just wanted to ask

00:18whether he was aware that wrongful detention is a specific determination made by the State

00:24Department and that it involves looking at the criteria within the Robert Levinson Act to determine

00:30whether a case of an American detained abroad is wrongful detention or whether that term,

00:36wrongful detention, has now changed under this administration to encompass

00:41a bigger group of Americans detained abroad even if they don't fit that criteria.

00:46Well, I believe he also has a tweet out that refers to 47 unjustly detained Americans,

00:51Americans, and so that's what I'll speak to here, and that is, of course, a correct number.

00:56It will be higher, I believe, soon, including in Afghanistan, Russia, and Venezuela through

01:02diplomatic efforts. These are huge wins for the United States, and it is because of President

01:08Trump's leadership. What we can also tell you – I think this happened – was it yesterday,

01:14I believe? I'm pleased to report that President Trump has secured the release of another U.S. citizen,

01:18Joris Djankovic from Belarus. Since President Trump took office, he was released on April 30th

01:26and returned to the United States. There is – we want to thank, of course, the Government of Lithuania,

01:33who remain incredible allies and who have offered critical support to our efforts these past few

01:39months to bring more Americans home. All right. Thank you. And – yes, sir.