JUST IN: White House Holds Press Briefing After Biden Threatens Israel With Weapon Shipment Pause

7 months ago

On Monday, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre held a White House press briefing with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.

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Transcript

00:00:00 (cross-talk)

00:00:10 All right. Good afternoon, everyone.

00:00:12 Happy Monday.

00:00:13 Happy belated Mother's Day to many of you here.

00:00:17 I have two things at the top, and then I'll turn it over to

00:00:19 our National Security Advisor.

00:00:21 So this afternoon, the President and Vice President will host a

00:00:23 reception celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian,

00:00:26 and Pacific Islander Heritage Month here at the White House.

00:00:30 The Biden-Harris Administration has leveraged the full force of

00:00:33 the federal government to ensure the promise of America for all

00:00:37 AA and NHPI communities, including by using an executive

00:00:41 order, establishing the President's Advisory Commission,

00:00:44 and the White House Initiative on Asian American, Native

00:00:47 Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.

00:00:50 The Biden-Harris Administration has delivered the most equitable

00:00:53 economic recovery on record, with nearly 15 million jobs

00:00:57 created, including historic AA and NHPI small business growth.

00:01:03 We are also working to ensure equal access to quality

00:01:06 education, expand affordable health care for children and

00:01:09 families, combat hate, improve disaster recovery, preserve

00:01:13 indigenous heritage and lands, and protect civil rights by

00:01:17 advancing language access and data equity.

00:01:21 And you'll hear from the President directly on this work

00:01:24 later today.

00:01:25 And finally today, the Biden-Harris Administration is

00:01:27 kicking off this year's Infrastructure Week.

00:01:31 I know you all are very excited about that.

00:01:33 We are celebrating the historic progress of President Biden's

00:01:36 Investing in America agenda, which continues to create good

00:01:40 paying jobs, boost domestic manufacturing, strengthen supply

00:01:43 chains, and grow the economy from the middle out and bottom up.

00:01:48 While Infrastructure Week became an empty punchline during the

00:01:52 prior administration, President Biden is delivering an

00:01:55 infrastructure decade that will benefit communities for

00:01:59 generations to come.

00:02:00 To date, our administration has announced over 56,000

00:02:05 infrastructure projects across the country and delivered over

00:02:08 $450 billion from the infrastructure law.

00:02:13 Today, we release an updated map showcasing thousands of projects

00:02:18 that are underway, as well as new state-by-state fact sheets

00:02:22 that spotlight investments and projects across the President's

00:02:25 entire Investing America agenda.

00:02:29 This Infrastructure Week, we are also calling out Congress,

00:02:34 Republicans in Congress to be more specific, who voted against

00:02:38 President's infrastructure law but are now showing up at

00:02:42 groundbreaking events and ribbon cuttings.

00:02:46 We're also calling on congressional Republicans to

00:02:49 extend funding for affordability connectivity program, which has

00:02:53 lowered Internet bills to enable more than 23 million households

00:02:58 to access affordable high-speed Internet.

00:03:01 Without congressional actions, millions of Americans will see

00:03:05 their Internet bills increase or lose Internet access at the end

00:03:09 of the month.

00:03:10 With that, as you can see, our National Security Advisor, Jake

00:03:13 Sullivan, is here to give a Middle East update.

00:03:16 Jake?

00:03:20 Thank you, Corrine, and good afternoon, everyone.

00:03:22 Before I take your questions, I want to step back and make some

00:03:25 comments on the latest developments in the Middle East.

00:03:28 There's been a lot more heat than light in the recent

00:03:31 coverage and commentary about the war between Israel and Hamas.

00:03:34 So I want to take a moment today to get back to basics and lay

00:03:38 out the administration's view.

00:03:40 Here is how we see it.

00:03:42 One, this is a war between the State of Israel and the terrorist

00:03:45 group Hamas, whose mission is to annihilate Israel and kill as

00:03:49 many Jews as they can.

00:03:52 The war began on October 7th, when Hamas massacred 1,200

00:03:55 people and took more than 200 hostages.

00:03:58 There was a ceasefire in place on October 6th.

00:04:02 Sinwar broke it.

00:04:03 The President has made clear the United States wants to see Hamas

00:04:07 defeated and justice delivered to Sinwar.

00:04:10 There can be no equivocation on that.

00:04:13 Two, the Palestinian civilians caught in the middle of this war

00:04:16 are in hell.

00:04:18 The death and trauma they've endured are unimaginable.

00:04:21 Their pain and suffering are immense.

00:04:24 No civilian should have to go through that.

00:04:26 This is on the President's mind every day.

00:04:29 Three, Israel has an unusual, even unprecedented burden in

00:04:33 fighting this war because Hamas uses hospitals and schools and

00:04:38 other civilian facilities for military purposes and has built

00:04:42 a vast network of military tunnels under civilian areas.

00:04:46 That puts innocent civilians in the crossfire.

00:04:49 It does not lessen Israel's responsibility to do all it can

00:04:53 to protect innocent civilians.

00:04:56 Four, we believe Israel can and must do more to ensure the

00:05:00 protection and well-being of innocent civilians.

00:05:03 We do not believe what is happening in Gaza is a genocide.

00:05:07 We have been firmly on record rejecting that proposition.

00:05:11 Five, the United States will continue to lead international

00:05:14 efforts to surge humanitarian assistance throughout the Gaza

00:05:17 Strip because innocent civilians should never go without food,

00:05:22 water, medicine, shelter, sanitation,

00:05:26 or other basic necessities.

00:05:28 Active diplomacy by President Biden has made a considerable

00:05:31 difference in getting more aid into Gaza.

00:05:34 Now we are redoubling that diplomacy to press the key

00:05:38 actors, including Israel and Egypt.

00:05:40 I discussed this issue with my Israeli and Egyptian

00:05:43 counterparts yesterday.

00:05:45 Six, the United States has sent a massive amount of military

00:05:49 assistance to Israel to defend itself against all threats,

00:05:53 including Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran and its other proxies.

00:05:58 We are continuing to send military assistance,

00:06:01 and we will ensure that Israel receives the full amount

00:06:04 provided in the supplemental.

00:06:06 We have paused the shipment of 2,000-pound bombs because we do

00:06:10 not believe they should be dropped in densely populated cities.

00:06:14 We are talking to the Israeli government about this.

00:06:17 We still believe it would be a mistake to launch a major

00:06:20 military operation into the heart of Rafa that would put

00:06:24 huge numbers of civilians at risk without a clear

00:06:27 strategic gain.

00:06:29 The President was clear that he would not supply certain

00:06:31 offensive weapons for such an operation were it to occur.

00:06:36 It has not yet occurred, and we are still working with Israel

00:06:39 on a better way to ensure the defeat of Hamas everywhere in

00:06:42 Gaza, including in Rafa.

00:06:45 This has been the subject of detailed conversations between

00:06:47 our professionals, and I discussed this again with my

00:06:50 Israeli counterpart just yesterday.

00:06:53 Seven, military pressure is necessary but not sufficient to

00:06:58 fully defeat Hamas.

00:07:00 If Israel's military efforts are not accompanied by a political

00:07:04 plan for the future of Gaza and the Palestinian people,

00:07:08 the terrorists will keep coming back and Israel will remain

00:07:12 under threat.

00:07:13 We are seeing this happen in Gaza City.

00:07:16 So we are talking to Israel about how to connect their

00:07:19 military operations to a clear strategic endgame,

00:07:23 about a holistic, integrated strategy to ensure the lasting

00:07:27 defeat of Hamas and a better alternative future for Gaza and

00:07:31 for the Palestinian people.

00:07:33 Eight, Israel's long-term security depends on being

00:07:36 integrated into the region and enjoying normal relations with

00:07:40 the Arab states, including Saudi Arabia.

00:07:43 The advantages of strong partnerships were on display

00:07:46 recently when a coalition of countries helped Israel defend

00:07:49 itself against Iranian missiles and drones.

00:07:52 We need to consider the tactical battlefield situation in Gaza

00:07:56 in light of the bigger strategic picture.

00:07:59 We should not miss a historic opportunity to achieve the

00:08:03 vision of a secure Israel, flanked by strong regional

00:08:06 partners, presenting a powerful front to deter aggression and

00:08:11 uphold regional stability.

00:08:13 We are pursuing this vision every day.

00:08:15 Nine, we are urgently and relentlessly working for a

00:08:19 ceasefire and a hostage deal, starting with the first phase

00:08:23 and building to an enduring calm.

00:08:26 As the President said this weekend,

00:08:28 there could be a ceasefire tomorrow if Hamas simply

00:08:32 released women, wounded, and elderly hostages, all innocents.

00:08:37 Israel put a forward-leaning proposal on the table for a

00:08:40 ceasefire and hostage deal.

00:08:43 The world should be calling on Hamas to come back to the table

00:08:46 and accept a deal.

00:08:48 The hostages include Americans and citizens

00:08:50 from around the world.

00:08:52 The President is determined to bring them safely back to their

00:08:55 loved ones, and I met with the families of these American

00:08:59 hostages again just this past Friday.

00:09:02 They know how hard the President is working on this.

00:09:05 Ten, Iran and its proxies have tried to take advantage of the

00:09:09 war in Gaza to launch attacks on Israel.

00:09:12 Hezbollah is attacking every day.

00:09:14 The threat posed by Iran and its proxies to Israel,

00:09:18 to regional stability, and to American interests is clear.

00:09:22 We are working with Israel and other partners to protect

00:09:25 against these threats and to prevent escalation into an

00:09:28 all-out regional war through a calibrated combination of

00:09:31 diplomacy, deterrence, force posture adjustments,

00:09:36 and use of force when necessary to protect our people and to

00:09:40 defend our interests and our allies.

00:09:43 We will not let Iran and its proxies succeed.

00:09:47 These are President Biden's positions.

00:09:49 They reflect his commitment to getting an outcome in Gaza and

00:09:52 across the broader Middle East that protects Israel's future

00:09:56 security and paves the way for a future of dignity and security

00:10:00 for the Palestinian people as well,

00:10:02 rather than Israel getting mired in a counterinsurgency campaign

00:10:05 that never ends and ultimately saps Israel's

00:10:08 strength and vitality.

00:10:11 And this is all consistent with President Biden's longstanding

00:10:14 view that ultimately a two-state solution is the only way to

00:10:18 ensure a strong, secure, Jewish, democratic state of Israel as

00:10:23 well as a future of dignity, security,

00:10:26 and prosperity for the Palestinian people.

00:10:28 One last thing.

00:10:30 No President has stood stronger with Israel than Joe Biden.

00:10:33 He was the first President ever to visit Israel during wartime.

00:10:37 He is protecting Israel at the United Nations.

00:10:40 He mobilized a coalition to directly defend Israel against

00:10:44 an unprecedented Iranian attack.

00:10:46 He led the bipartisan effort to pass a supplemental that

00:10:49 ensures Israel's defense and military edge for years to come.

00:10:54 His commitment to Israel is ironclad.

00:10:56 Ironclad doesn't mean you never disagree.

00:10:58 It means you work through your disagreements,

00:11:00 as only true friends can do.

00:11:02 That's exactly what we've done for the past seven months,

00:11:05 and that's what we'll keep doing.

00:11:07 And with that, I'll be happy to take your questions.

00:11:09 Yeah.

00:11:10 >> The Press: Thank you, Jake.

00:11:11 Just a week ago, the administration sounded optimistic

00:11:14 on the prospect of a ceasefire and hostage deal.

00:11:17 Now those talks appear to have stalled.

00:11:18 Can you provide an update?

00:11:20 >> Mr. Sullivan: Well, I have been quoting George Mitchell

00:11:24 of late, who negotiated peace between the warring parties

00:11:28 in Northern Ireland.

00:11:30 And Senator Mitchell said quite famously that negotiations

00:11:34 are 1,000 days of failure and one day of success.

00:11:37 And right now, we're in the former days

00:11:39 rather than the latter day.

00:11:41 And this particular negotiation has had its ups and downs,

00:11:44 its ins and outs, its twists and turns.

00:11:47 And what I laid out in my opening comments

00:11:49 remains the case.

00:11:50 There could be a ceasefire tomorrow if Hamas would just go

00:11:53 ahead and release women wounded and elderly.

00:11:56 We do believe Israel has put a good proposal on the table.

00:11:59 Hamas has put a counterproposal on the table.

00:12:02 The world is calling for a ceasefire.

00:12:04 Those who are doing so should go to Hamas and say,

00:12:06 "Come to the table and work until we get a deal."

00:12:09 I can't predict when and if that will happen.

00:12:11 I can tell you that we remain committed to pressing

00:12:14 the diplomacy to achieve that outcome on behalf

00:12:17 of the American hostages and all the hostages

00:12:20 and on behalf of getting to an enduring calm in Gaza.

00:12:23 What exactly the next step is, we will have to see.

00:12:25 This is a dynamic situation that involves the diplomatic element

00:12:29 as well as the military element, including the recent operations

00:12:33 that Israel has taken in Rafa.

00:12:34 So we will now have to see how things unfold

00:12:36 in the coming days.

00:12:37 The White House said that it was down to language.

00:12:39 What is it down to now?

00:12:40 Well, in the end, when you're talking about a phased agreement

00:12:46 that has multiple elements relating to sequencing

00:12:50 of hostages coming out, movement of military capabilities,

00:12:54 surging of humanitarian assistance,

00:12:56 movement of civilians, all these things are quite detailed.

00:12:59 And working through those details is what is going

00:13:02 to be necessary to get this across the finish line.

00:13:04 We believe there is a framework that both sides could sign

00:13:07 up to, and it's really about the specifics

00:13:10 of that framework and filling that out that's necessary.

00:13:12 Language ends up being on a page,

00:13:14 but it is what reflects the implementation of those details.

00:13:17 That's what we're working with the parties, both with Israel

00:13:21 and with Qatar and Egypt, who are in close touch

00:13:24 with the representatives of Hamas.

00:13:26 And we'll keep you updated as we drive to the finish line.

00:13:29 We are intent and determined to get all of the hostages home.

00:13:32 We are intent and determined to produce a ceasefire

00:13:34 and hostage deal.

00:13:35 We believe we can achieve that.

00:13:36 I cannot tell you when.

00:13:37 Yeah.

00:13:38 Jake, I want to ask you about Russia,

00:13:39 but just first on this topic.

00:13:41 In the readout of your call with Israeli officials yesterday,

00:13:44 it said that you're going to have this meeting again

00:13:48 in person soon.

00:13:49 Is your expectation -- well, one,

00:13:51 when is your expectation that that meeting will happen?

00:13:53 And do you expect that there won't be a Rafa offensive

00:13:57 until that meeting has taken place?

00:13:59 I expect it will happen in a matter of days, not weeks.

00:14:02 We haven't announced a specific date on the calendar,

00:14:04 but this isn't going to be long in the future.

00:14:06 We're just talking about scheduling so that we can get

00:14:08 the teams together.

00:14:09 Because, of course, it's not just me meeting my counterpart,

00:14:11 it's military intelligence and humanitarian professionals

00:14:14 on both sides being a part of that conversation as well.

00:14:17 And what I expect is that we will have an opportunity

00:14:21 to talk further about the best way to ensure Hamas's defeat

00:14:24 everywhere in Gaza, including in Rafa,

00:14:26 in the context of that conversation,

00:14:29 and that that opportunity will still be available to us

00:14:32 when we show up for that conversation.

00:14:34 And then Zelensky's advisor said today that this new --

00:14:38 these new Russian government appointments,

00:14:40 including the defense minister,

00:14:41 show that Moscow is going to try to scale up its war effort

00:14:44 and reconfigure its economy for its defense needs.

00:14:46 Is that your assessment of this shakeup as well?

00:14:49 Look, it's an opaque system.

00:14:52 It's run by one man, Vladimir Putin.

00:14:54 He calls the shots.

00:14:56 He may move around professionals into various roles,

00:14:59 but at the end of the day, he seems bound and determined

00:15:02 to continue to try to inflict a brutal war of aggression

00:15:05 on Ukraine.

00:15:06 We'll take whatever comes, support Ukraine

00:15:08 alongside a coalition of countries,

00:15:10 and see what happens.

00:15:11 So I don't have a specific comment

00:15:12 on the nature of this changeup in their government.

00:15:17 I've seen that speculation from the Ukrainians.

00:15:19 It's not unreasonable, but I can't draw any conclusions

00:15:22 at this point.

00:15:23 We'll have to see what unfolds.

00:15:24 Yeah.

00:15:25 Thanks, Jake.

00:15:26 Does the U.S. believe that Sinwar or other top Hamas

00:15:27 leaders are hiding in Rafa?

00:15:29 And if not, why do the Israeli forces continue

00:15:32 to push further into Rafa?

00:15:34 What reasons are they giving you?

00:15:36 Look, I've seen the public reporting on this,

00:15:38 both in Israeli press and in American press,

00:15:41 citing intelligence officials suggesting

00:15:43 he's not actually in Rafa.

00:15:46 I'm not going to comment on intelligence operations

00:15:49 from the podium, so I'm afraid I can't go further

00:15:51 in trying to answer your question.

00:15:53 But it's a reasonable question if, in fact,

00:15:55 it were the case that he weren't in Rafa,

00:15:58 but I can't confirm that one way or the other from this podium.

00:16:00 What reasons are the Israelis giving for why

00:16:02 they continue to push forward in Rafa?

00:16:03 And do you get the sense that they're taking

00:16:05 the U.S. warning and threat seriously?

00:16:08 Look, I think that they have taken the sustained

00:16:10 conversation that we have had with them about

00:16:13 how to seek an enduring defeat for Hamas

00:16:17 while minimizing civilian harm.

00:16:19 I think they have been taking that seriously.

00:16:21 We've had multiple rounds of conversations,

00:16:24 professional to professional, president to prime minister.

00:16:27 We will continue those conversations.

00:16:28 We have been very clear about where we stand,

00:16:30 and we've also been clear that we're here

00:16:32 to actually offer constructive ideas

00:16:35 for how to proceed with this in a way that will ultimately

00:16:38 achieve the objective.

00:16:39 One of the points I made at the outset that I think

00:16:41 bears repeating is that really any military operation,

00:16:44 a targeted operation, a larger operation on the ground

00:16:48 or in the air, has got to be connected

00:16:49 to a strategic endgame that also answers the question,

00:16:52 what comes next?

00:16:53 And that's something that we're really bearing in on

00:16:55 with the Israeli government and feel that there needs

00:16:58 to be more attention on that piece of it,

00:17:00 lest we end up in a circumstance where Israel conducts

00:17:03 a military operation, kills a bunch of Hamas guys,

00:17:07 also creates some harm to innocent civilians

00:17:10 caught in the crossfire, and then terrorists come back,

00:17:13 as we have seen them come back in Gaza City and Khan Younis

00:17:15 and other places.

00:17:16 We want to avoid that outcome.

00:17:17 We want an outcome in which the page gets turned

00:17:20 from Hamas' terroristic reign over Gaza,

00:17:23 and a better future comes for the Palestinian people

00:17:25 and for the security of the state of Israel.

00:17:27 That's what we're going to keep working through.

00:17:29 Yeah.

00:17:29 Thanks, Jay.

00:17:30 I know you don't-- previously, you

00:17:32 haven't wanted to talk about drawing red lines.

00:17:34 But Israel is continuing to strike Rafa,

00:17:36 and they're continuing to order the evacuation

00:17:38 of large numbers of civilians.

00:17:41 So how will you assess when it has crossed over

00:17:43 into that full-scale offensive from the current operations

00:17:47 that are happening now?

00:17:49 We're watching this very closely, as you are.

00:17:50 We're consulting closely with the Israelis.

00:17:52 We're collecting our own assessment of what's

00:17:54 happening on the ground.

00:17:56 The Israeli Defense Forces have indicated to us

00:17:59 that the operations they are currently pursuing

00:18:01 are targeted.

00:18:02 They are not the kind of massive military operation

00:18:05 that we have talked about.

00:18:07 We'll make our own judgment on that as we see things unfold.

00:18:09 And it will be based on a totality of factors.

00:18:12 It's not a mathematical formula or a mechanical determination.

00:18:15 It's something we will judge based on what we see.

00:18:18 And the President will then make his determinations.

00:18:20 We have not seen that happen yet.

00:18:21 Yes, April.

00:18:22 Jake, you've said some of the most strongest words yet

00:18:25 about the Palestinians, protecting them,

00:18:27 protecting the innocent civilians,

00:18:29 as well as assuring their security and aid.

00:18:33 What has your department, the National Security Council,

00:18:38 as well as Steve Benjamin said to Morehouse in the lead-up

00:18:43 to the President's speech, trying to quell the concerns

00:18:47 about protests during his commencement address

00:18:51 this weekend?

00:18:52 I have not spoken with the folks at Morehouse,

00:18:55 and I'd have to defer to Steve to relay to you

00:18:57 what he said to them in their conversations.

00:18:59 We're, of course, focused on the policy

00:19:01 as it relates to the ongoing war

00:19:04 and the situation in the Middle East.

00:19:05 I have not been engaged in or involved in the preparations

00:19:08 for the President's commencement address.

00:19:09 But is it not important to get out right now,

00:19:11 as there are people who are walking out

00:19:14 on college commencement addresses,

00:19:17 as people are turning their backs,

00:19:19 wearing scarves that represent Palestinians,

00:19:21 is this message important to get out

00:19:23 for these upcoming commencement addresses

00:19:25 that the President is delivering?

00:19:28 The President called Prime Minister Netanyahu

00:19:31 at the beginning of April, more than a month ago,

00:19:33 to register his very strong concern about the need

00:19:36 to get more humanitarian assistance in,

00:19:38 and he put out a strong public statement at that time.

00:19:40 So the premise of your question, that I'm now coming to speak

00:19:45 about the issue of surging humanitarian assistance

00:19:47 or protecting civilians, is not a premise I'm afraid I can accept.

00:19:50 The President has been very strong on this.

00:19:53 Secretary Blinken has been strong on it,

00:19:54 and not just in what they say, but in the work that we are

00:19:57 doing with Israel, with Egypt, with the United Nations,

00:20:00 and frankly, through our own activities, including airdrops

00:20:04 and the work to get this pier in place to begin

00:20:06 to surge humanitarian assistance in by sea.

00:20:09 And when it comes to the issue of civilian harm

00:20:12 and the question of trying to do everything possible

00:20:16 to reduce the amount of civilian harm on the Strip,

00:20:18 this is something the President has spoken

00:20:20 to quite actively over a sustained period of time

00:20:23 as well and is directly engaged with the Israelis on, too.

00:20:25 -And all of our people who are protesting

00:20:27 the President's appearance at Morehouse

00:20:31 because of the Palestinian issue,

00:20:33 what do you say to those people directly?

00:20:36 -I would say, please read the remarks

00:20:39 that I just gave to this room today,

00:20:41 because I think it tries to lay out --

00:20:43 -It's not a flip. It's not a flip.

00:20:44 -I'm not being flip.

00:20:45 I'm telling you, April, straight up.

00:20:47 What I've just laid down here today

00:20:50 encapsulates the President's position

00:20:53 on something that is both simple and complex.

00:20:56 It is simple because Hamas is an evil terrorist organization

00:20:59 that needs to be defeated, period.

00:21:01 It is complex because doing that in the context

00:21:04 of what is happening in the Gaza Strip

00:21:06 is a complex military operation, and, frankly,

00:21:09 the regional situation makes it even more complex.

00:21:12 And people of good faith have very strong views on this issue.

00:21:15 And we will engage with people across the board of folks

00:21:23 who have come to this with their own perspective,

00:21:27 their own worldview, and all we can do is tell them,

00:21:30 "How do we see it? Where do we stand?"

00:21:32 And what I've tried to lay out for you, step by step,

00:21:35 is where we stand on a set of issues

00:21:39 that raise questions of policy, of course,

00:21:42 but are also deeply human.

00:21:43 They're deeply human for the hostage families.

00:21:46 They're deeply human for those who lost their lives

00:21:48 in a massacre on October 7th

00:21:51 and whose loved one lost their lives.

00:21:53 It's deeply human for innocent people

00:21:54 who are caught in the crossfire and are struggling

00:21:56 to get access to basic necessities.

00:21:59 And we're going to keep speaking to that as we go forward

00:22:01 and continue to follow what we believe is in the best interests

00:22:04 and reflective of the values of this country.

00:22:07 Yeah.

00:22:08 -Hi, Jake.

00:22:09 There was a New York Times analysis today

00:22:11 that showed Russian missiles breaking through

00:22:13 Ukrainian air defenses in far greater numbers

00:22:15 over the past couple of months, with interceptions down.

00:22:18 At the same time, there's this --

00:22:20 apparently, you know, Russian forces gathering

00:22:22 and surging on this new front in the north.

00:22:25 Is any of this the result of delays

00:22:27 in getting arms to the Ukrainians,

00:22:29 or what accounts for this turn?

00:22:32 -So, part of it is the fact that Russia has continued

00:22:36 to push the envelope in terms of just the brutality

00:22:38 and intensity of its campaign.

00:22:40 It has sought more targets across a wider range of Ukraine,

00:22:45 most of them civilian, frankly,

00:22:47 trying to destroy the Ukrainian electricity grid

00:22:51 with an even greater determination this year

00:22:53 than they had last year.

00:22:55 Part of it is about the need for us, the United States,

00:22:58 and our coalition of countries to surge yet more air defense

00:23:01 in so that Ukraine has it.

00:23:03 And, yes, part of it is about a six-month delay

00:23:05 in being able to get assistance to Ukraine

00:23:07 that has put Ukraine in a hole,

00:23:08 and we've made no bones about that from this podium.

00:23:11 So, we have started moving air defense to them.

00:23:14 We intend to move more, and by "we,"

00:23:15 I don't just mean the U.S.

00:23:16 I mean our whole coalition,

00:23:18 with the President, Secretary Austin,

00:23:20 myself working day in, day out to coordinate those deliveries

00:23:25 and to put Ukraine in a position

00:23:27 where it is better able to defend

00:23:28 against what Russia is throwing at them

00:23:30 and what they are throwing at them is quite considerable.

00:23:32 -Can I follow up on that?

00:23:34 Can you quantify how quickly is that --

00:23:36 are the new packages of military assistance

00:23:38 arriving on the battlefield in Ukraine,

00:23:40 and if the U.S. is confident that they'll arrive in time

00:23:43 for the Ukrainians to be able to fend off

00:23:46 advances in Kharkiv and other regions?

00:23:50 -The same day that the law took effect,

00:23:53 now two, three weeks ago,

00:23:55 the President signed out a billion-dollar package.

00:23:57 Some of that equipment is already on the battlefield.

00:24:01 On Friday, he signed out another package.

00:24:03 Some of that equipment will get onto the battlefield this week.

00:24:05 Now, some of it has a longer lead time

00:24:08 in terms of our ability to ship it,

00:24:10 organize it, and get it in.

00:24:11 So I don't want to suggest that all billion dollars

00:24:14 worth of equipment is on the battlefield,

00:24:16 but what you will see is a steady flow week by week.

00:24:20 It's not like we've got to wait well out into the future

00:24:22 before stuff starts getting delivered.

00:24:25 And we are going to have another,

00:24:27 what we call PDA,

00:24:28 Presidential Drawdown Authority package,

00:24:30 just in the coming days because we're trying to really

00:24:33 accelerate the tempo of the deliveries,

00:24:35 recognizing, as I said before,

00:24:38 the delay put Ukraine in a hole,

00:24:40 and we're trying to help them dig out of that hole

00:24:41 as rapidly as possible.

00:24:42 -Do you have PDAs every week now or even faster?

00:24:46 -How we do the drawdown is a little bit less

00:24:51 of the central issue than what the size of it is

00:24:54 and what the sequence of actual deliveries are.

00:24:56 So I'm not going to suggest

00:24:57 that there will be a drawdown every week.

00:24:59 What I am going to suggest is that the level of intensity

00:25:01 being exhibited right now in terms of moving stuff

00:25:04 is at a 10 out of 10.

00:25:06 I spoke this morning,

00:25:08 along with Secretary Austin and Chairman Brown,

00:25:11 with our counterparts in Ukraine,

00:25:12 General Sierski, Minister Umarov, and Andrei Yermak.

00:25:16 We spoke for 90 minutes.

00:25:18 It was a detailed conversation

00:25:19 about the situation on the front,

00:25:22 about the capabilities that they are most in need of,

00:25:25 and a real triage effort to say, "Get us this stuff this fast

00:25:31 so that we can be in a position

00:25:33 to effectively defend against the Russian onslaught."

00:25:36 And so, at the highest levels in our government,

00:25:38 we are engaged with the highest levels of theirs

00:25:41 to be able to ensure

00:25:42 that we're doing everything humanly possible,

00:25:44 both ourselves and our allies who are searching equipment

00:25:47 as well to get it there to the front lines.

00:25:48 -Can I just follow up on an Israel question?

00:25:49 Sorry. Secretary Blinken said yesterday

00:25:52 that Israel could be "holding the bag"

00:25:54 on an enduring insurgency.

00:25:56 I'm curious whether --

00:25:57 would Israel be holding that bag alone?

00:25:59 In other words, is there any concern

00:26:01 or are you concerned that Israel's ongoing prosecution

00:26:04 of the war using U.S. weapons is going to help Hamas

00:26:08 cultivate kind of a new generation of people

00:26:11 who will be targeting U.S. interests

00:26:14 and attacking Americans?

00:26:16 -Look, we have painful experience

00:26:18 in counterinsurgency campaigns,

00:26:19 fighting terrorists in urban environments and populated areas,

00:26:23 and we know that it is not as simple

00:26:27 as executing a military operation and calling it a day.

00:26:30 As I said in my opening comments,

00:26:31 military operation has to be connected

00:26:34 to a political plan for the day after

00:26:36 so that there is a clear alternative

00:26:38 and there's governance and there's security

00:26:40 and all of the steps you need to take to finally

00:26:43 and fully defeat a hardened, entrenched terrorist foe.

00:26:46 And, yes, one of the risks of engaging

00:26:51 in any kind of counterinsurgency campaign

00:26:53 is the ability of the terrorist group

00:26:55 to attract more recruits and more followers as time goes on.

00:26:58 This is something we have talked to the Israelis about.

00:27:01 So one of the key points that we have been reinforcing

00:27:05 is to step back just from a tactical military analysis

00:27:10 of the situation, ask strategically,

00:27:12 "How do we get to the common goal,

00:27:14 the enduring defeat of Hamas?"

00:27:15 And that is going to require military pressure, yes,

00:27:18 but more than just military pressure,

00:27:20 a political plan to get there.

00:27:22 -Hi. Thank you.

00:27:23 One of the big questions about Raqqa

00:27:26 is that why does the United States,

00:27:29 the strongest ally of Israel, the biggest weapons supplier,

00:27:32 seem to have so little clout with the Netanyahu government?

00:27:35 And you said, for instance,

00:27:37 that they need a strategic endgame.

00:27:39 They don't have one yet.

00:27:40 Kibbe Netanyahu said they're going to go ahead in Raqqa

00:27:42 no matter what.

00:27:43 What is the evidence that the United States

00:27:45 still has clout with the Netanyahu government,

00:27:49 or is it just too early to tell?

00:27:51 -Well, I think you can go back to the beginning

00:27:54 and look at the pattern of engagement of the United States

00:27:56 and the impact that it's had on, for example,

00:27:59 the flow of humanitarian assistance.

00:28:01 And we believe also that in engaging Israel

00:28:05 on the question of civilian protection and civilian harm,

00:28:07 they have made adjustments over the course of time.

00:28:09 And then with the question of a strategic endgame,

00:28:11 I don't think that's really a question

00:28:13 about American influence.

00:28:14 That's a question about Israel's strategy

00:28:17 and what Israel chooses to do.

00:28:19 The prime minister doesn't have to answer to us on that.

00:28:21 He's got to answer to the Israeli people on that,

00:28:24 because he's ultimately having to deliver for them

00:28:29 the long-term security and a clear answer to the question,

00:28:33 how does Hamas get defeated on an enduring basis

00:28:35 and what comes after?

00:28:36 So I think sometimes this whole issue

00:28:39 gets put a little bit too much into the frame of the US

00:28:42 and Israel and not enough into the frame of,

00:28:44 these are sovereign Israeli decisions

00:28:45 that they're making in a democracy.

00:28:48 Their leadership is choosing how to prosecute this war.

00:28:51 They are going to make those decisions.

00:28:52 We're a sovereign country, too.

00:28:53 We're going to make our decisions.

00:28:55 And as a very good friend of Israel,

00:28:57 we are going to stand with them

00:28:58 as they work to defeat their determined enemy.

00:29:01 But we're also going to offer our advice

00:29:04 and make clear where we stand on these issues as well.

00:29:07 That's the most we can do.

00:29:08 That's the most you could ask of anyone.

00:29:10 That's what we will do every day.

00:29:11 We do believe it has borne results.

00:29:12 We hope it will bear more results in the period ahead.

00:29:15 Yeah.

00:29:16 >> The Press: Thanks, Jake.

00:29:17 Another question on Secretary Blinken's comments yesterday.

00:29:19 He said that even if Israel goes further into Raqqa,

00:29:22 that there will still be thousands

00:29:23 of Hamas soldiers left.

00:29:24 So why is Israel saying that they have to go into Raqqa

00:29:27 to defeat Hamas?

00:29:29 >> Mr. Sullivan: Look, I'll leave that to the Israeli government.

00:29:31 A point that we have made to them

00:29:33 is that Israel has gone through Gaza City.

00:29:35 Israel has gone through Khan Younis.

00:29:37 And in both places, you've seen terrorists emerge from the rubble

00:29:41 because, from our perspective,

00:29:44 there's not a sufficient integration of a military plan

00:29:46 with a political plan.

00:29:47 We have concerns about that.

00:29:48 We've raised those concerns not with rancor,

00:29:51 but because we want to see a successful outcome to this war.

00:29:55 We want to see Hamas defeated.

00:29:57 We want to see its leaders --

00:29:59 justice delivered to its leaders, starting with Sinwar.

00:30:03 So we'll continue to talk to them about this.

00:30:04 But really, that question, which is a good question,

00:30:07 is a question best posed to the Israelis

00:30:09 who are formulating the military plans that they are unfolding.

00:30:12 >> On China tariffs, what is the President's goal with it?

00:30:15 His review of those tariffs?

00:30:16 And do you expect any retaliation from China

00:30:18 if tariffs are in factories?

00:30:20 >> So I will not get ahead of the President on this.

00:30:22 I've seen, obviously, all of the reporting on it.

00:30:25 It's no secret that the President,

00:30:26 this entire administration, has been concerned

00:30:28 about unfair practices by the PRC

00:30:32 that harm American workers and businesses,

00:30:34 the issue of overcapacity,

00:30:35 the ways in which China has put in place

00:30:40 a series of non-market,

00:30:42 distorting practices in strategic sectors.

00:30:45 And he has said consistently,

00:30:48 "I'm going to stand up and push back against that."

00:30:50 And so that's the frame that he approaches this with.

00:30:55 And then I'm going to leave the specifics

00:30:56 to be announced in due course, I would say in short order.

00:31:01 Yeah.

00:31:02 >> You cited the humanitarian aid

00:31:04 as a way to influence Israel and a cloud for the U.S.

00:31:07 But this -- even the aid coming to Gaza has been curtailed now.

00:31:12 It's barely -- it's been blocked.

00:31:13 So barely any aid coming in.

00:31:15 And also the repeated attack by settlers and extremists

00:31:18 in the West Bank of allowing the aid in.

00:31:21 So how can you make sure that actually the U.S.

00:31:24 has that cloud that you mentioned?

00:31:26 And second, if you allow me, many Arab states said that --

00:31:29 including your allies -- said they're not going to take part

00:31:31 in the day-after plan in Gaza in any shape or form,

00:31:36 whether it's a force or it's administration.

00:31:38 Netanyahu said, too, that he doesn't want the PA

00:31:41 to take part or a two-state solution.

00:31:44 So what's your vision when it comes to the day-after?

00:31:47 How can you push the Israelis to materialize this

00:31:50 into some kind of plan of action?

00:31:52 >> So on the first question, in the past few days

00:31:56 since Israel took the Rafah crossing,

00:31:58 we have seen difficulty getting aid

00:32:01 through either Rafah or Kerem Shalom.

00:32:03 And this is a matter of great concern to us.

00:32:05 This is something we're working not just

00:32:06 with the Israeli government, but the Egyptian government

00:32:08 and the United Nations, because it will take all three

00:32:11 of them working together to make this happen.

00:32:13 In the meantime, Israel has opened yet another crossing

00:32:16 in the north beyond Erez, a crossing called Zakim,

00:32:19 and has moved flour through that crossing.

00:32:21 We have managed to get some fuel in down through the south,

00:32:24 despite all of the other difficulties.

00:32:26 This is an urgent and critical situation.

00:32:29 We have got to get those crossings open

00:32:31 to get more aid in.

00:32:32 That has been an issue of the past few days

00:32:34 since these military operations,

00:32:36 and it's something we are working through

00:32:37 with all the relevant parties.

00:32:38 It is a total outrage that there are people who are attacking

00:32:44 and looting these convoys coming from Jordan,

00:32:47 going to Gaza to deliver humanitarian assistance.

00:32:51 We are looking at the tools that we have to respond to this,

00:32:54 and we are also raising our concerns

00:32:56 at the highest level of the Israeli government,

00:32:59 and it's something that we make no bones about.

00:33:01 This is completely and utterly unacceptable behavior.

00:33:03 On the day after, we are, in fact,

00:33:05 having constructive conversations

00:33:07 with Arab states about it.

00:33:08 But what they do want to see is a political horizon.

00:33:11 They want an answer to what does the long-term future

00:33:13 look like for the Palestinian people.

00:33:15 That's something we're talking about with them.

00:33:17 That's something we're talking about

00:33:18 with the Israeli government as well.

00:33:19 Yes.

00:33:20 >> Thanks, Jake.

00:33:22 Just to put a little bit of a point on Nadia's question,

00:33:24 is Israel restricting the flow of humanitarian aid

00:33:27 into Gaza, or is it not?

00:33:29 >> So, first, I would point you to the findings

00:33:32 of the State Department report

00:33:33 that just came out over the weekend.

00:33:35 We believe that there were periods over the last few weeks

00:33:37 where there were restrictions that had to be worked through.

00:33:41 But at the time we put that report forward,

00:33:43 we felt that there was sufficient work

00:33:46 being done by the Israeli government

00:33:47 with respect to the facilitation of humanitarian aid,

00:33:50 that we did not make a judgment that anything had to be done

00:33:53 in terms of U.S. assistance.

00:33:55 That continues to be our position today.

00:33:56 Yeah.

00:33:57 >> So, I'm complaining in which they're restricting us,

00:33:59 but it's okay in the way that they're restricting us?

00:34:01 >> Those are your words. They are certainly not my words.

00:34:03 I'm not sure if that's how you ask questions.

00:34:04 But, yeah, go ahead.

00:34:05 >> Jake, good afternoon.

00:34:07 As we sit here seven months into this war in Gaza,

00:34:09 how confident are you as you stand there

00:34:11 that the hostages, the remaining hostages,

00:34:14 will come home, A, and B,

00:34:15 how many of them do you believe are actually still alive?

00:34:18 >> I cannot give you a clear number

00:34:22 of how many are still alive

00:34:24 because we do not have total fidelity on that, unfortunately.

00:34:27 And it's something that we watch every single day.

00:34:29 We know there are deceased hostages,

00:34:31 and we know there are living hostages.

00:34:33 And we know that with each passing day,

00:34:36 the risk to those hostages also goes up,

00:34:38 which only redoubles our commitment

00:34:39 to try to get to a ceasefire and hostage deal

00:34:41 as rapidly as possible.

00:34:43 But, unfortunately, I'm not in a position

00:34:44 to give you fidelity on those numbers

00:34:46 because nobody entirely has it.

00:34:48 We have our analysis, our assessments.

00:34:51 Some of that is driven by intelligence.

00:34:52 We'll have to be cautious in sharing them.

00:34:54 But to look you in the eye and say,

00:34:56 "We know exactly how many are alive,"

00:34:58 nobody can do that for you.

00:34:59 >> And how would you describe the relationship between --

00:35:01 right now -- between President Biden

00:35:04 and Benjamin Netanyahu?

00:35:06 >> I would describe the relationship

00:35:08 as how it's been for the duration of the time

00:35:10 that they've known each other.

00:35:11 It is straightforward. It is direct.

00:35:14 It is a relationship where the two of them

00:35:16 can each share their views and perspectives.

00:35:19 And that is how it's going to continue as we go forward.

00:35:22 And I'll take one more. Yeah.

00:35:23 >> Thank you, Jake.

00:35:24 A quick Ukraine follow-up regarding Hizb ut-Mid-East.

00:35:27 Ukraine's government is desperately asking

00:35:29 for anti-aircraft assets, including Patriot batteries.

00:35:33 What's the plan?

00:35:34 How are you going to get those to them?

00:35:36 Which allies? Or, yeah, any details?

00:35:39 >> So, one of the things I do every single day

00:35:42 is talk to at least one ally, if not multiple,

00:35:45 about getting more Patriot batteries into Ukraine.

00:35:49 And I think we recently had some good news

00:35:52 from an ally about getting one in.

00:35:55 We are working on more.

00:35:57 That's just something that we're going to continue

00:35:58 to try to procure.

00:36:00 And beyond Patriots,

00:36:02 we're looking for other systems as well,

00:36:03 because we believe that there are a number of allies

00:36:06 who have capabilities they could share

00:36:07 and ways in which the United States could help them

00:36:09 with their air defense needs as a backfill.

00:36:13 That is an ongoing conversation.

00:36:14 It is a matter of utmost priority.

00:36:16 >> Just to be clear, you're looking at, like,

00:36:17 one or two at a time, not dozens, not a bigger number?

00:36:20 >> I mean, dozens of Patriot batteries,

00:36:24 I don't think is the right order of magnitude

00:36:26 for what we're trying to get in there.

00:36:27 >> Jake, you've got any questions?

00:36:28 >> No, no, no, maybe you take the --

00:36:30 >> How are you -- >> -- the back of the room.

00:36:31 >> I'll take you last.

00:36:32 >> Okay, I'm going last.

00:36:33 >> We're a package deal.

00:36:36 >> Egypt has said that they will support South Africa's case

00:36:39 of the ICJ against Israel for genocide.

00:36:41 How is that affecting the negotiations right now,

00:36:44 the situation in general?

00:36:45 And what is Washington's message to Cairo

00:36:49 about this decision on their part?

00:36:50 >> I can't say that it's helpful to the discussions

00:36:52 between Egypt and Israel to try to sort out

00:36:54 the humanitarian assistance and access issues.

00:36:57 But I do know that Egypt, Israel, the United States,

00:37:00 the United Nations, we are all trying to work together

00:37:03 to figure out a way forward.

00:37:05 So, last question.

00:37:06 >> Thank you. You said at the start of this

00:37:07 that you don't believe what's happening in Gaza is genocide.

00:37:10 What criterion are you using?

00:37:12 >> We're using the internationally accepted term

00:37:15 for genocide, which includes a focus on intent.

00:37:17 And it's not just me standing here at this podium.

00:37:20 In the context of this International Court of Justice

00:37:24 case at The Hague, the United States

00:37:26 actually made a presentation backed up by legal analysis,

00:37:28 which I would invite you to read,

00:37:29 because it lays out all of those criteria.

00:37:31 >> Francesca Alvanese, the special UN

00:37:33 repertoire on human rights in Palestine,

00:37:34 presented one in March.

00:37:36 She presented it in Geneva.

00:37:37 The three criteria she used -- studying international law,

00:37:40 three acts, Israel's intent to destroy national, ethnic,

00:37:43 racial, or religious groups, serious bodily

00:37:45 or mental harm to a group, inflicting on a group

00:37:47 conditions of life calculated to bring physical destruction

00:37:50 in whole or in part within imposing measures

00:37:52 intended to prevent birth within a group,

00:37:54 process of erasure of the native Palestinians.

00:37:57 So, those three things are happening.

00:37:59 How can you say genocide is not being committed?

00:38:01 >> As I just told you, I think the best way for me

00:38:03 to answer that question is actually to ask you

00:38:05 to look at the lay down that we gave, which --

00:38:07 >> I just laid down -- are you saying this isn't happening?

00:38:09 >> I'm sorry. I thought you asked me how I can say it.

00:38:11 I'm saying I'd like you to look at the United States' --

00:38:13 >> I just did.

00:38:15 I'm asking, are you saying this isn't happening?

00:38:17 >> Do you mind if I finish answering your question

00:38:19 before you interrupt?

00:38:20 >> Are you saying that she's a liar?

00:38:22 >> The United States has laid down

00:38:24 at the International Court of Justice,

00:38:26 in writing, in detail, its position on this issue,

00:38:29 and I'd ask you to read it. Thank you.

00:38:30 >> Are you saying that it doesn't line up with them,

00:38:32 with what she's saying?

00:38:33 >> Thank you, Jake.

00:38:35 >> Thank you, Jake. Okay. I know --

00:38:38 oh, and folks are leaving right now.

00:38:41 Okay. Have an effect on folks.

00:38:43 I know there is a call happening in short order,

00:38:49 and so -- and I know it's about an issue

00:38:51 that you all care about, so feel free to step away

00:38:54 from the briefing, and I won't be up here too much longer,

00:38:57 as you know. We'll have a briefing tomorrow,

00:38:59 and the next day, and the next day, and the next day.

00:39:01 Okay.

00:39:03 >> At a fundraiser over the weekend,

00:39:04 the President began his remarks by talking about Israel.

00:39:07 He said, "Israel said it's up to Hamas.

00:39:10 If they wanted to do it, we could end it tomorrow.

00:39:12 It all has to do." And then he cut himself off and said,

00:39:15 "I shouldn't get into all of this.

00:39:17 I don't want to get going."

00:39:19 Can you just finish the sentence for us?

00:39:20 (Laughter.)

00:39:21 What he was trying to say,

00:39:23 especially what he was talking about,

00:39:24 "It all has to do with" --

00:39:26 >> Look, I'm -- obviously, as I say often,

00:39:30 certainly going to let the President speak for himself.

00:39:32 >> But he did it better speaking for himself.

00:39:33 >> I know. I know. But I -- look, I think, obviously,

00:39:39 Jake Sullivan, the National Security Advisor,

00:39:41 came here and gave a very good and detailed,

00:39:44 in-depth laydown of where we are,

00:39:46 and it's very much where the President is.

00:39:49 And he talked about humanitarian aid,

00:39:51 obviously, the importance of getting that into Gaza

00:39:55 and how we want to make sure that we deal

00:39:57 with what we're seeing there with the dire situation in Gaza.

00:40:01 Obviously, he talks about our continued support.

00:40:03 He talked about our continued support for Israel's security.

00:40:07 That is ironclad.

00:40:08 That is what we want to make sure that,

00:40:10 you know, they are able to defend themselves.

00:40:12 And so I think all of that remains to be true.

00:40:15 Hostage deal, we want to get to a ceasefire

00:40:17 and also create a situation

00:40:18 where we can get more of that humanitarian aid,

00:40:21 bring hostages home.

00:40:22 So all of that continues to be true.

00:40:23 I think the words that you heard

00:40:25 from the President's National Security Advisor,

00:40:27 I think, is very clear on where the President is.

00:40:31 I can't speak beyond that.

00:40:36 And I think the President started out

00:40:39 saying what was on his mind,

00:40:41 but more broadly, where we are with the situation in Gaza

00:40:46 and Israel has been very clear,

00:40:47 and we want to continue to lay that out.

00:40:50 That is one of the reasons that Jake came out here.

00:40:53 The Press: And for one, the House is likely to vote

00:40:54 on the Israel Security Assistance

00:40:56 and Support Act later this week,

00:40:58 which would ban the administration

00:40:59 from withholding military aid to Israel

00:41:01 that has been congressionally approved.

00:41:03 Is that something that -- it's obviously a response

00:41:04 to the President's comments over the last week.

00:41:06 So is that something that the White House would oppose?

00:41:08 Are you talking to Democrats who might be inclined

00:41:10 to go with Republicans on this?

00:41:12 Ms. Sanders So, look, I'll start off --

00:41:14 I just repeated basically what I wanted to say to this question,

00:41:18 which is this President has been very clear.

00:41:21 His commitment to Israel's security is ironclad.

00:41:24 That has not changed.

00:41:26 We share Israel's goal of defeating Hamas,

00:41:29 and we'll continue to stand with Israel to make that happen.

00:41:32 We've been very clear.

00:41:34 As it relates to the announcement

00:41:36 that the President made in the interview last week on CNN,

00:41:40 we have paused only one shipment that includes 2,000 pounds bombs

00:41:45 which can be very destructive

00:41:47 in densely populated urban environments, such as Rafah.

00:41:50 You heard, obviously, Jake just speak to this.

00:41:54 And then, so regarding this bill,

00:41:56 as you just asked me about, Sung Min,

00:41:57 we strongly, strongly oppose attempts

00:42:00 to constrain the President's ability

00:42:02 to deploy U.S. security assistance

00:42:04 consistent with U.S. foreign policy

00:42:06 and national security objectives.

00:42:08 It is our objective as well that we plan to spend

00:42:11 every last cent appropriated consistent

00:42:14 with legal obligations,

00:42:15 including in the recent supplemental,

00:42:17 that national security supplemental

00:42:19 that was just passed and the President obviously signed.

00:42:21 We are committed to that supplemental,

00:42:24 so that has not changed.

00:42:28 Go ahead, April.

00:42:29 -This week, President Biden is going to commemorate

00:42:33 the anniversary of Brown v.

00:42:34 Board.

00:42:35 Does this President and/or this administration

00:42:39 believe that Brown v.

00:42:41 Board may have been weakened by the Supreme Court's decision

00:42:44 on affirmative action in the college admissions?

00:42:47 -So, as you just stated in your question to me,

00:42:49 the President is going to commemorate Brown v.

00:42:53 Board, and he's also going to meet with the families.

00:42:55 That's going to happen on Thursday.

00:42:57 On Friday, he's going to go over to the National Museum

00:43:01 of African American History and Culture.

00:43:03 He'll be there on Friday to give a really important speech.

00:43:06 I don't want to get ahead of the President,

00:43:08 but to your question about the Supreme Court's ruling

00:43:12 in students for fair admissions versus Harvard last year,

00:43:17 the President reiterated that his administration will fight

00:43:20 to preserve the hard-earned progress we have made

00:43:23 to advance racial equity, civil rights,

00:43:26 and expand educational opportunity for all Americans.

00:43:29 Specifically, the President called on colleges

00:43:31 and universities,

00:43:33 when selecting among qualified applicants,

00:43:35 to give serious consideration to adversities

00:43:39 students have overcome,

00:43:41 including the financial means of a student or their family,

00:43:44 where a student grew up and went to high school

00:43:46 and personal experience of hardship and discrimination,

00:43:49 including racial discrimination that a student may have faced.

00:43:53 As the President said last June, when this verdict came down,

00:43:56 he strongly disagrees with the court decision

00:43:59 and believes that one of the greatest strengths of America

00:44:02 is indeed our diversity.

00:44:04 The President, again, is going to speak about this on Friday,

00:44:08 so I don't want to get ahead of him,

00:44:09 but we have made very clear how we feel about this decision

00:44:13 that happened almost a year ago.

00:44:14 But does he believe that it undermines Brown v. Board,

00:44:17 this historic ruling that integrates schools,

00:44:22 and we are actually seeing the segregation of schools

00:44:25 still in this country?

00:44:27 No, I totally agree with all the points that you made.

00:44:29 I laid out what we thought about that decision

00:44:32 that came last June, and we had said it is something

00:44:36 that is concerning, incredibly concerning.

00:44:39 The President is going to give a speech on Friday.

00:44:42 I'm going to let the President speak for himself.

00:44:44 He will address this.

00:44:45 Obviously, we are indeed commemorating

00:44:50 the landmark Broad v. Board of Education,

00:44:53 and so that's something we're going to meet

00:44:55 with the families on Thursday.

00:44:56 So you see a pattern here,

00:44:57 that the President is going to meet

00:44:59 with the families on Thursday,

00:45:00 he's going to give remarks on Friday,

00:45:02 and he will speak to this himself.

00:45:05 But wanted to lay down what we have said already

00:45:07 about the ruling, the admissions ruling

00:45:10 versus Harvard that happened last year.

00:45:12 We've been very clear about that.

00:45:14 Yeah.

00:45:17 Thanks, Karine.

00:45:19 Argentine Foreign Minister, Dana Mondini,

00:45:20 is going to be in town this week.

00:45:22 She's going to meet Antony Blinken,

00:45:24 the State Department.

00:45:25 Can you confirm she has a meeting with Jake Sullivan

00:45:27 here at the White House?

00:45:29 I don't have anything for you.

00:45:30 Once we have something to share,

00:45:31 certainly we will share that with you all.

00:45:33 Okay.

00:45:34 Thanks, Karine.

00:45:35 So Warren Buffett this month said that taxes

00:45:37 will have to be raised to pay for the national debt.

00:45:40 He said the government may want to decrease spending.

00:45:42 So with -- we've had announcement

00:45:44 after announcement of taxpayer money being doled out.

00:45:46 We've seen almost weekly now.

00:45:48 Is the federal government spending too much money?

00:45:51 So let me just say a couple things that Warren Buffett

00:45:53 did say that we certainly agree with,

00:45:55 and I'll quote him, "The wealthy are definitely under tax

00:45:58 relative to the general population,"

00:46:00 which is why the President has a plan to make sure

00:46:03 that the wealthiest among us, the billionaires

00:46:06 and big corporations, pay their fair share.

00:46:08 And we've been very clear about that.

00:46:10 They pay their fair share in order to pay for his investments

00:46:13 in America and cut the deficit by $3 trillion.

00:46:16 And Buffett also said it doesn't bother him to pay taxes.

00:46:22 And so it has been very clear, the President has said,

00:46:24 that he will not raise taxes on anyone

00:46:27 making less than $400,000.

00:46:29 That is what the President has said.

00:46:31 Warren Buffett pretty much agrees with us.

00:46:33 We agree, obviously, with him.

00:46:35 And this is very different than what Republicans want to do.

00:46:38 They put out their plan.

00:46:39 They put out what they want to do.

00:46:40 They want to cut Social Security, Medicare,

00:46:43 Medicaid, give tax breaks to billionaires and corporations.

00:46:47 We do not agree with this.

00:46:48 And what we want to do is continue to make sure

00:46:50 that we're lowering costs for Americans, for families,

00:46:54 whether it is big pharma, fighting big pharma,

00:46:57 lowering health care costs,

00:46:58 making sure that we go after cooperation

00:47:01 as you hear us talk about junk fees.

00:47:03 Those are the ways that we want to move forward.

00:47:05 That's what our focus is.

00:47:06 The Press: So, increased taxes to pay the debt?

00:47:09 Ms. Benton.

00:47:10 But let's be really, really clear, right?

00:47:12 On billionaires and big corporations,

00:47:15 who Warren Buffett himself said,

00:47:17 as you started asking me about Warren Buffett,

00:47:20 he says that they are undertaxed.

00:47:22 And that is something that the President agrees on.

00:47:24 And he believes if we are able to do that,

00:47:27 to tax corporations and billionaires,

00:47:29 that would pay for his investments in America

00:47:32 and cut the deficit by $3 trillion.

00:47:34 That is something the President has been very clear about

00:47:36 since day one.

00:47:37 The Press: One more, if I could, on China

00:47:39 and the tariffs that are coming.

00:47:40 So, in July of 2019, then-candidate Biden

00:47:43 said that tariffs on China are "abusive policy."

00:47:46 Has the President changed his mind

00:47:48 and now believes tariffs work?

00:47:49 Ms. Benton.

00:47:51 So, look, I'm not -- I'm not -- I'm going to be really mindful.

00:47:53 I'm going to let -- in due order,

00:47:56 you'll hear directly from the President, directly from us.

00:48:00 So, don't want to get ahead of that.

00:48:02 Jake said it really well when he was here.

00:48:04 We have always had concerns on China's unfair trade policies.

00:48:09 We've been very clear about that.

00:48:11 And the last administration,

00:48:13 when they did a trade deal with China,

00:48:14 what it did is it failed to increase American exports

00:48:18 or boost manufacturing.

00:48:19 That is not something the President wants to see.

00:48:21 He has been doing the opposite,

00:48:23 making sure that American manufacturing is created here,

00:48:27 right here in America.

00:48:28 And so, that is something that he has been very focused.

00:48:30 He says he wants to protect American workers,

00:48:32 protect businesses, American business.

00:48:34 That's what the President wants to do.

00:48:35 He spoke about this when he was in Pittsburgh not too long ago,

00:48:39 talking about making sure that we see fair business practices

00:48:44 as it relates to American workers and American businesses.

00:48:47 So, don't want to get ahead of that.

00:48:49 But we've been very, very clear on how we move forward

00:48:53 on these types of practices, trade practices,

00:48:56 and what we want to see.

00:48:58 And that is the framework, as Jake Sullivan said here

00:49:01 moments ago, that we move forward.

00:49:02 The Press: So, you're not going to believe tariffs work?

00:49:04 Ms. Jean-Pierre.

00:49:05 I'm just going to be really mindful and not get ahead

00:49:06 of what we're about to announce soon.

00:49:10 And what we have been really, really clear about

00:49:13 is protecting workers, protecting businesses.

00:49:16 And we have called out China's unfair trade policies,

00:49:20 and so we're going to continue to do that.

00:49:22 Go ahead, Phil, in the back.

00:49:23 The Press: There's new reporting in The Wall Street Journal

00:49:25 that found that the FDIC Director, Martin Grunberg,

00:49:30 disrespected, disparaged, and treated unfairly

00:49:33 officials there, and that he was known to be someone

00:49:35 who could not control his temper.

00:49:37 Obviously, President Biden said early on in his administration

00:49:41 that he would fire on the spot anyone who bullied

00:49:43 or unfairly bullied a co-worker.

00:49:46 So, has the President seen those reports?

00:49:48 And if those reports prove to be accurate, will he take action?

00:49:51 Ms. Jean-Pierre.

00:49:52 So, I don't have any personal announcements

00:49:53 to make at this time.

00:49:54 The FDIC Administrator-Chairman, to be exact,

00:49:58 made -- apologized and spoke to this,

00:50:01 and so certainly I would send you there.

00:50:04 The FDIC is an independent agency,

00:50:06 so I would refer you to them as to anything else coming out

00:50:10 from the FDIC on this particular matter.

00:50:12 But I just don't have any policy personnel announcement

00:50:16 to make at this time.

00:50:17 The Press: Thanks, Karine.

00:50:18 I know you don't want to get ahead of the announcement,

00:50:20 but can you just more broadly talk about the role

00:50:23 that tariffs play here in trying to balance

00:50:26 protecting American workers versus consumers?

00:50:29 Because tariffs are often a tax to consumers.

00:50:32 So, how can you ensure Americans that with more tariffs,

00:50:35 it doesn't come with higher costs?

00:50:36 Ms. Jean-Pierre.

00:50:37 So, I'm going to let the announcement speak for itself.

00:50:40 But what I can say about what China has played here --

00:50:44 and they've played by a different set of rules,

00:50:46 and this is what we know to be clear,

00:50:49 and it has been unfair and anti-competitive

00:50:51 economic practices.

00:50:52 For example, forcing technology transfers

00:50:54 and stealing intellectual property

00:50:56 distorting market forces with unrivaled subsidies,

00:51:01 barriers, and regulations, flooding markets

00:51:03 with artificially cheap products to wipe out the competition.

00:51:07 And that's what we have seen from China

00:51:08 with their unfair trade policies.

00:51:11 We have done the opposite here.

00:51:13 And what we have tried to do in our Invest in America agenda

00:51:17 is $860 billion invested by the private sector

00:51:20 in manufacturing and clean energy.

00:51:22 Nearly 800,000 manufacturing jobs created right here

00:51:26 in the U.S.

00:51:27 So, you see the President's investing --

00:51:29 investment in America.

00:51:30 This is what his agenda has been all about.

00:51:33 And as I stated moments ago, when Trump administration --

00:51:37 when they went forward with their trade deal,

00:51:40 what it did is it showed that that deal with China,

00:51:43 it failed to increase American export and boost manufacturing.

00:51:48 We have tried to change that, reverse that.

00:51:51 And so, I want to be mindful --

00:51:53 I'm not going to get into an upcoming potential announcement.

00:51:59 And so, I'm going to be really mindful there.

00:52:01 But we are all about --

00:52:02 and this President has been very clear --

00:52:04 protecting American workers, protecting American businesses.

00:52:07 And we're going to continue to do that

00:52:09 under this administration.

00:52:10 >> The Press: And can you just talk about the President's

00:52:12 preparations for the upcoming commencement speech

00:52:14 at Morehouse?

00:52:16 And does he plan to address the concerns of some students

00:52:19 and faculty who have conflicting views

00:52:21 about the President being there?

00:52:22 >> Ms. Jean-Pierre: So, a couple of things there.

00:52:23 The President is going to continue to work on his speech

00:52:26 with his senior advisors.

00:52:27 That's what he's going to do all week.

00:52:29 He sees this moment as a very pivotal moment,

00:52:33 an important moment to a lot of these young graduates.

00:52:36 Let's not forget, some of these graduates missed out

00:52:41 on their graduation from high school because of the pandemic.

00:52:45 And this is going to be a celebration for them,

00:52:47 an opportunity to have a commencement,

00:52:49 to have a graduation that they sadly missed out on.

00:52:52 So the President has done these type of commencements.

00:52:55 He did two of them last year.

00:52:57 He's done them throughout his --

00:52:59 as a Vice President, as a senator.

00:53:00 He knows how important it is not just to the graduates,

00:53:02 but the families, the people who love them.

00:53:06 And so he will -- you'll see themes, obviously,

00:53:09 in his commencement speech.

00:53:11 He will give an uplifting remarks on what's to come

00:53:16 and what they can look forward to,

00:53:18 but also acknowledging, you know, what's ahead,

00:53:21 the difficulties that are ahead.

00:53:23 And, look, as you started your question to me about what --

00:53:27 how people are feeling, we've been very clear about that, too.

00:53:29 We understand how deeply personal this moment is

00:53:34 for many Americans across the country.

00:53:37 We've been very clear about that.

00:53:38 We understand that.

00:53:39 That's why we've had conversations with members

00:53:41 of the community that's affected by this.

00:53:44 We've had conversation with the Muslim Americans,

00:53:46 Palestinian Americans, Arab Americans.

00:53:48 The President has.

00:53:50 White House officials here have.

00:53:52 They've traveled to states across the country

00:53:55 to have those very important conversations,

00:53:59 and will continue to do that.

00:54:01 But also, this moment, the commencement speech,

00:54:04 is such a celebratory moment, and we believe it's important.

00:54:08 It's important -- in this instant,

00:54:10 Morehouse is going to hear directly from the President

00:54:12 of the United States.

00:54:13 And I think that's a memorable moment, as well.

00:54:17 Good.

00:54:18 Thanks, Karine.

00:54:19 Where do deliberations stand on this potential White House plan

00:54:23 to allow a certain number of Palestinian refugees

00:54:27 into the U.S.?

00:54:28 So I don't have any updates for you.

00:54:30 I know I've been asked this question multiple times

00:54:32 about conversations happening here.

00:54:35 Don't have anything to share.

00:54:37 What I will say is -- and I've said this many times before

00:54:40 in the beginning of what happened,

00:54:44 occurred on October 7th -- we put in a plan.

00:54:49 There were 1,800 Palestinian Americans that were in Gaza,

00:54:54 and we did everything that we can to get them out,

00:54:57 if they choose to, if that's something that they wanted

00:54:59 to do, and certainly we were able to do that.

00:55:02 As it relates to a refugee program or anything

00:55:06 in that nature, I don't have any announcement to make.

00:55:09 And I'll just leave it there because I want to be really

00:55:12 mindful about that, about getting ahead of that.

00:55:14 Does the fact that a lot of Democratic senators were sort

00:55:16 of lukewarm on the idea make it less likely that something

00:55:19 like that would happen?

00:55:20 I wouldn't say that.

00:55:21 I wouldn't say that -- confirm that either way.

00:55:25 What I will say is we don't have any announcement to make

00:55:28 at this time, and so obviously we're going

00:55:31 to look at everything.

00:55:32 Hi.

00:55:33 So the U.S. has repelled bomb shipments to Israel.

00:55:38 And on Friday, the State Department sent a report

00:55:43 to Congress.

00:55:44 So did the report further support the administration's

00:55:49 stance, or are they having second thoughts about it?

00:55:54 Say that one more time.

00:55:56 So the U.S. has withheld bomb shipments to Israel.

00:56:00 Yeah, just one shipment, 2,000 bombs.

00:56:02 Yeah.

00:56:03 Right.

00:56:04 And so we have -- 2,000 pound bombs.

00:56:06 That is connected to what we have said,

00:56:09 and we have made very clear about our public -- and made

00:56:13 this publicly and privately -- our concerns about a major

00:56:18 military operations in Tarafa.

00:56:20 And so we have been very clear about that because of the more

00:56:23 than 1.4 million Palestinians who were there who are --

00:56:28 they are seeking refuge.

00:56:29 And so we've been very clear about that.

00:56:31 So we have paused one shipment, and that's what the President

00:56:34 spoke to last week; that's what Jake spoke to just moments ago.

00:56:37 Right.

00:56:38 So the report, does it sort of further strengthen what the

00:56:44 President is doing, or is it giving him pause?

00:56:48 What do you think of the report that the State Department sent

00:56:50 to the Congress?

00:56:51 I mean, I think Jake spoke to that.

00:56:52 He talked about the findings of the report,

00:56:56 how it wouldn't change our policies.

00:56:59 That's number one.

00:57:00 And this is an ongoing transparent process.

00:57:03 I don't have anything else to add beyond that.

00:57:06 But when you think about the pause on these 2,000-pound bombs,

00:57:13 the reason why we paused it is because we want to be mindful.

00:57:17 Right.

00:57:18 We want to -- we understand that there is -- in Rafah,

00:57:21 there are dense areas that have Palestinians who are seeking

00:57:25 refuge, and we want to make sure those civilian lives,

00:57:28 those innocent civilian lives are protected.

00:57:30 That's why we've made very clear,

00:57:33 very clear about our concerns about our major military

00:57:37 operations there.

00:57:38 That is the reason.

00:57:39 That is the focus, understanding that fact.

00:57:42 And that is a fact.

00:57:43 And so we're going to continue to have those conversations.

00:57:45 You heard Jake talk about in the upcoming days having an

00:57:50 in-person conversation with his counterparts,

00:57:53 continuing these group meetings that they've been having with

00:57:58 -- that NSC has been having with the IDF, the Israeli government.

00:58:04 And so that's going to continue.

00:58:05 We're going to -- and we're going to continue to be really

00:58:07 clear about our concerns as we've been publicly,

00:58:11 as also privately.

00:58:13 And so those conversations continue,

00:58:15 and that's why the President has been very clear.

00:58:17 There are 1.4 million civilians, innocent civilians that are in

00:58:22 Rafah right now, and we want to be really careful and mindful.

00:58:25 We want to see a plan that speaks to how are we going to

00:58:29 -- how is Israel going to make sure that those lives

00:58:32 are protected.

00:58:33 It is a pause of one shipment, and that shipment is related to

00:58:38 what we believe is -- could be potentially an issue here in

00:58:44 Rafah, being very, very clear about that.

00:58:49 The Press: Thanks, Karine.

00:58:50 Some recent polls -- and I know you've said the President

00:58:53 doesn't govern looking at polls -- but some have shown his

00:58:56 popularity eroding amongst young people and also non-whites,

00:59:02 and it's not only related to Israel.

00:59:05 Is he aware of that?

00:59:06 Is he going to try to refocus his messaging or tweak it to

00:59:11 speak directly to those groups that have felt left behind?

00:59:15 Ms. Jean-Pierre: So, look, I -- look, going to be mindful about this

00:59:22 upcoming election, not going to comment about that,

00:59:25 the 2020-24 election or how these polls will affect

00:59:29 the 2020-24 election.

00:59:30 Going to be super mindful.

00:59:31 But more broadly, we believe that young Americans support

00:59:37 the President's agenda more broadly, right,

00:59:39 in an overwhelming way.

00:59:41 And the President has stood on many -- has stood with young

00:59:44 Americans on many of the issues that they care about,

00:59:45 because you said beyond what's happening in the Middle East.

00:59:49 And so when it comes to climate change, right,

00:59:51 that's something that he's been very clear about and has been

00:59:54 the most progressive President on that particular issue.

00:59:58 And he's going to continue to do that.

01:00:00 We understand, as well, that while the economy is turning

01:00:04 around -- and you've heard me talk at the top about the 15

01:00:07 million jobs created and what we've been able to do to turn

01:00:10 around the economy -- we understand that prices are too

01:00:13 high, and young people in particular are feeling that.

01:00:16 And so we're going to continue to work on those issues.

01:00:18 We're going to continue to do everything that we can

01:00:20 to lower costs.

01:00:21 I talked about the situation in the Middle East and how young

01:00:25 Americans are feeling about what they're seeing in Gaza,

01:00:29 and we understand how painful it is -- this moment is for them.

01:00:33 That's why we've been working so hard to try to get a deal that

01:00:36 would lead us to a ceasefire, get hostages home,

01:00:39 and make sure that we get that humanitarian aid.

01:00:41 Let's not forget that the U.S. has led the effort in getting

01:00:44 humanitarian assistance into Gaza.

01:00:47 And so going to be super -- kind of super mindful about the

01:00:52 particular polling questions, but we do believe that, you know,

01:00:57 we want to make sure that we have an economy that works

01:00:59 for young people.

01:01:00 We want to make sure that we listen to young people

01:01:02 and hear them out.

01:01:03 We want to make sure that we continue to work on some of the

01:01:06 issues that the President has talked about,

01:01:08 whether it's student debt relief.

01:01:09 This is something that the President -- it's not going to

01:01:11 stop him from doing the work that he has been very clear

01:01:14 about wanting to deliver for the American people, including,

01:01:18 including young Americans.

01:01:20 So --

01:01:21 The Press: On the messaging to minorities?

01:01:22 Ambassador Rice: Well, and what do you mean -- like,

01:01:25 what do you mean, like, specifically about that?

01:01:29 The Press: Hispanic voters?

01:01:30 Ambassador Rice: Yes.

01:01:31 Well, I'm not going to speak to Hispanic voters -- or voters,

01:01:35 more specifically.

01:01:37 But if you look at what the President has been able to

01:01:40 accomplish for different communities,

01:01:43 we have seen an economy that he has created, right,

01:01:47 that he's wanted to create that is not a trickle-down economy,

01:01:50 that is very much from the bottom up, middle out.

01:01:53 And you've seen unemployment go down for the Hispanic community.

01:01:57 You've seen wealth -- we talk about wealth gap -- closing the

01:02:00 wealth gap and making sure that we're creating jobs for Latino,

01:02:07 Hispanic communities more specifically.

01:02:09 I think we've created more than 4 million jobs in this

01:02:12 administration for that particular community.

01:02:14 We've seen that as well for the black community,

01:02:17 the African American community.

01:02:18 We've been very -- you heard me lay out what we've been able to

01:02:21 do for Asian Americans with this -- with the President's

01:02:25 economic policy.

01:02:27 So we are very, very committed to making sure that communities

01:02:30 that are normally seen to be left behind are not left behind

01:02:34 as it relates to the President's economic policy.

01:02:36 You see that when he fights Big Pharma.

01:02:38 When he's fighting Big Pharma and lowering costs,

01:02:40 that helps communities that you're asking me about.

01:02:43 When we're talking about junk fees,

01:02:45 that helps communities that you're asking me about.

01:02:48 And so when we're talking about expanding ACA,

01:02:51 we expanded that for Dreamers, for DACA recipients.

01:02:55 That's because -- and you heard this President say this last

01:02:57 week, because he understands that DACA recipients,

01:03:00 many of them, are part of our military, right?

01:03:03 They're part of what makes this country great.

01:03:06 And so those are actions that the President is going to

01:03:08 continue to take and continue to have those conversations and

01:03:12 certainly message that.

01:03:14 I have to go.

01:03:15 Thanks, everybody.

01:03:16 I'll see you tomorrow.

01:03:17 I'll be back tomorrow, guys.

01:03:18 Thanks, everybody.

01:03:19 [BLANK_AUDIO]

JUST IN: White House Holds Press Briefing After Biden Threatens Israel With Weapon Shipment Pause

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