During a briefing at the U.S. State Department, newly appointed spokesperson Tammy Bruce was asked about the security of minorities in Bangladesh. However, she did not provide a direct answer and declined to comment on the matter.
At a regular press conference on Monday (March 17), local time, Tammy Bruce responded in this manner when a journalist asked her about the issue.
A questioner in the briefing raised a question regarding the security of minorities in Bangladesh, stating:
"A few days before the (U.S.) election, President Trump, then a candidate, spoke about this issue and expressed concerns regarding attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh. Now that the Secretary of State has been in office for nearly 60 days, how does he assess the situation of Hindus in Bangladesh, and what steps is he taking?"
In response, the newly appointed U.S. State Department spokesperson, Tammy Bruce, said:
"Well, again, I repeat, you are referring to President Trump—how the country (the United States) and his (Trump's) administration perceive what is happening in other countries in certain aspects."
At this point, the questioner clarified that the issue was related to Bangladesh. In response, Tammy Bruce stated:
"And Secretary of State Rubio certainly follows his perspective regarding the nature of the decisions made on this matter. But when it comes to discussions, diplomatic considerations, conversations among the involved parties, and what might happen, I do not want to speculate here about what the outcome will be. You wouldn’t want me to do that either. I think that would be the best approach."
The questioner then asked if they could rephrase and ask their question again. However, U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce did not grant permission, stating:
"What I will not do is express any stance on government-to-government diplomatic considerations or comment on what is happening in a specific country in a manner that falls within diplomatic discussions. Clearly, these are things I cannot say. Nor will I speculate on exactly what might happen regarding any issue."
