National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan was pressed by NBC News host Kristen Welker about his previous comments claiming things were “quieter” in the Middle East.
NBC News’ Kristen Welker pressed President Biden’s National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan about how he was “so far off the mark” in describing the conflict in the Middle East as “quieter” today than it has been in two decades.
“Jake, as you know, there’s been a lot of discussion about how this attack could have been missed. I want to play you some remarks that you made eight days before the attack and get your reaction on the other side,” Welker asked, before playing the clip.
Sullivan said the Middle East was quieter than it has been in a long time about a week before Hamas attacked Israel.
“The Middle East region is quieter today than it has been in two decades. Now challenges remain. Iran’s nuclear weapons program, and the tensions between Israelis and Palestinians, but the amount of time I have to spend on crisis and conflict in the Middle East today compared to any of my predecessors going back to 9/11 is significantly reduced,” he said.
