Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s spokeswoman angered President Donald Trump’s “America First” following by appearing to suggest the United States sits “next to Israel” in terms of being the best country in the world.
Tammy Bruce made the quip during an appearance last month on the Israeli TV show i24 News.
Her comments on May 8 passed unremarked at the time, but resurfaced online on Sunday, when internet chatter was busy in the wake of America’s show of support for Israel with an attack on Iran. Several of Bruce’s critics declared themselves online to be supporters of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement and called for her to be fired.
But Bruce told Newsweek: “My work obviously speaks for itself, which is a reflection of my love for the United States, as I said in that interview, the greatest country on Earth. The assertion by certain anonymous users online is a typically out-of-context and absurd effort to create fake news for clicks and to smear.”
Why It Matters
The clip has been shared numerous times on X, formerly Twitter. One video, which also shows Bruce’s comments before and after her Israel remark, was shared by independent journalist Ken Klippenstein in a post that went viral, with more than 5 million views, over 5,500 shares, and nearly 1,600 comments as of press time.
Israel is currently embroiled in a military conflict with Iran, after launching a strike against the country’s nuclear facilities earlier this month, amid fears that Tehran was working toward creating nuclear weapons.
Trump waded into the clash when he approved a U.S. strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities over the weekend, with Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian later vowing the U.S. “must receive a response for their aggression.”
At home, Trump needs to keep his MAGA supporters on side, while squaring his decision to attack Iran with his pre-election promise that the U.S. would not become involved in any more foreign wars.
What To Know
Bruce, who previously hosted Get Tammy Bruce on Fox Nation and worked as a contributor to Fox News, was one of several Fox presenters appointed to roles in Trump’s second administration.
She granted her sit-down interview with i24 News in early May, but the clip of her remarks about which country is “the best” has only begun going viral since the weekend.
During the interview, Bruce discussed her relationship with Judaism, U.S. foreign policy, and the Trump presidency with political journalist Mike Wagenheim. She told him she was “sadly not” Jewish, despite media reports that had suggested otherwise. She added that after the 2023 attack by the Palestinian terror group Hamas against Israel, she bought a Star of David necklace to wear on the air to show her affinity with the Jewish people.
ANDREW THOMAS/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Image
Later, an apparently throwaway comment about which country is the best subsequently enraged some MAGA supporters.
She was discussing her experience on the job since she assumed the role. “The pride of being able to be here [in the State Department] and do work that facilitates making things better for people, and in the greatest country on Earth,” she said—adding immediately, “next to Israel!” She delivered the line with a smile to her interviewer.
She continued: “And it’s an honor to be able to make a difference and to be able to speak in this regard with an administration that I love so much and that I feel genuinely represented by, it’s a real honor.”
What People Are Saying
As the clip went viral online overnight on Sunday, thousands of people took to X to share their views. Some were MAGA supporters furious that Bruce had placed America “next to Israel” in her ranking, with many suggesting she should lose her job.
An X user, whose profile describes himself as a “MAGA man,” said: “I’m sorry but she needs to be relieved of her duties effective immediately.”
Political Commentator “Gunther Eagleman,” real name David J. Freeman, who describes himself on X as “America First – MAGA – Unfiltered,” wrote: “America is the best country. Point blank. I’d tag Tammy Bruce but she has me blocked.”
Another X user, who said in their profile that they were “inspired by Trump and firmly MAGA and MAHA,” wrote: “Tammy Bruce just said America is the greatest country on earth NEXT TO ISRAEL. WTH IS GOING ON??? She should be fired on the spot for this. Her allegiance is not to America. WOW.”
However, other people said that Bruce’s words had been misinterpreted, with one arguing that her words “next to Israel” were a grammatical clause following her previous comment about “[doing] work that facilitates making things better for people.”
An X user, whose profile says they are an engineer and a mathematician who believes “leftism is a cult,” replied to Klippenstein’s post: “There’s a comma missing. She’s calling the UNITED STATES, the greatest country on Earth, (COMMA) (WORKING) next to Israel. YOU ARE TWISTING WHAT SHE SAID.” He added: “And it’s entirely possible she was also humoring her interviewer with a tongue-in-cheek comment. Either one or the other is likely. Tammy is 100% American.”
Another X user, whose profile says they are a “fun loving thought criminal,” said: “We stand with our allies. what’s wrong with that?”
A third, whose profile says she is a wife and mom, said: “It sounds to me like she’s saying it in a friendly, complimentary tone – meant to make a listener feel warm and proud – that is not to be taken literally. I don’t believe Tammy Bruce actually believes Israel is greater than her own United States. The more probable explanation is the one I’ve given, in my opinion.”
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen whether MAGA supporters will accept Bruce’s account or continue to target her online.
In the meantime, Trump and his administration will try to take their supporters with them as they join forces with Israel against Iran.
Update 6/23/25, 11:37 a.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from Tammy Bruce.
