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LAST UPDATE | 2 May
THE UNITED STATES’ State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce appeared surprised when a reporter yesterday informed her of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet shakeup.
“I think it’s clear that I just heard that from you,” she told a reporter when asked about the major change during a press briefing.
Yesterday, Trump announced that Mike Waltz of Signalgate notoriety would be leaving his role as the US’ National Security Advisor and instead become the country’s ambassador to the United Nations.
Further, he announced that Secretary of State Marco Rubio would be serving as National Security Advisor in the interim.
Trump took to his social media platform Truth Social to share the news with the world – only it appeared he had skipped over telling senior members of his White House staff beforehand.
Following the revelation during the briefing, Bruce said, “I have some insights to the potential of certain things that might happen, but when the president – and this is all of course presidential decisions, right, so I’m with the state department, and I think it would be clear to all of you, you don’t want to get ahead of your skis and drawing conclusions or speculating about what may occur…
“You can have a general sense of what’s possible, and then you see that manifest usually, but I think one thing certainly that I’ve learned is that things don’t happen until the president says they’re going to happen.”
LMAO -- a reporter breaks news during a briefing to State Department spox Tammy Bruce that her boss Marco Rubio is the new national security adviser
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 1, 2025
"I just heard this from you," Bruce says pic.twitter.com/wlQ47shVO1
After checking whether it was Truth Social that the message had been posted to, Bruce said, “The miracle of modern technology and social media,” before continuing to say that it was “exciting” news.
She commended Marco Rubio and said that he would be a good fit for the role.
Asked if she could elaborate on whether she had any insight that this was set to happen, Bruce replied, “No I can’t. But thanks for asking.”
Bruce, like Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, was previously a contributor to Fox News.
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This girl had a place at a centre and a place with a family but neither suited. They both just want their own free home where they can do and live as they please. I do feel with her intellectual disability, we should be offering her as much support as possible but in reality she can’t get a place because of her junkie boyfriend. You’ve got to help yourself too.
@john Appleseed: You don’t give a shit about her or anyone like her so don’t pretend to by “feeling” for her intellectual disability. What is so bad about her wanting to live independently in a place to call her own. She was told that she would not be able to live in a home on her own due to her having higher needs but she is determined to give it a go and so she should and she should be supported all the way. Even with her “junkie boyfriend”. I didn’t realise having a partner free from addictions was a prerequisite to being housed! Is that the way it is? What’s this “free home” anyway? Her tent is a free home ffs!!!! But if you mean provide with a house to live in, that’s certainly not “free”. She’ll have to pay rent, electric, bins, heating etc . This girl and many vulnerable like her who are basically chucked out of care at 18 need to be supported in what way THEY want to live, not having it decided for them! I’ve seen girls having to go back to the home environment they were taken out of when they were children because they have no other choice! Is that ideal?
@Missyb211: surely if a safer place to sleep is what is immediately required then she or anyone would accept the offer to be off the street and continue to engage with services to improve that situation rather than take the step back of living in a tent? A semi permanent base would help interact with supports that are needed for helping with her intellectual disabilities and his addiction issues? My observation is he or she who shouts loudest tries to get what they want in spite of what is needed by others or their place in the unfortunate queue, all while media outlets white them out for the pop up ads and comments while we in fight.
@filthypete:*hoor them out. The filter caught it.
@Missyb211: Well said Missyb211, nice to see someone cut through the faux concern that a lot of people take on these comments sections..
@Sara Elia López: Goodbye to your new trolling account.
@filthypete: You’re not listening! Nor I suspect do you want to. Who said a “safer place to sleep is what is immediately required”?? It’s obvious you don’t know anybody with any sort of intellectual disability otherwise you wouldn’t be expecting them to think so rationally about their situation. At the moment she all she’s thinking about is having a home where she can have some basic dignity and begin to get her life on track as she said. That’s not asking much and it certainly isn’t shouting loud! Don’t know what “all while media outlets white them out for the pop up ads and comments while we in fight.” means so can’t comment on that.
@john Appleseed: good points there
@Missyb211 @johnappleseed @chollyappleseed: Yeooooooooooooooooow..
All hail the Appleseed’s of this world. #sayitlikeitis
@johnappleseed @chollyappleseed
@Missyb211: you’ve made a hell of a lot of assumptions about me. The difference here missy b is I’ve simply offered an opinion where it seems you’re perspective is to preach to me that I’m wrong. The point I was trying to make is that help has been offered and rejected? So based on your perspective that she can’t think rationally about her situation how is she supposed to (a) be capable of looking after her own place (b) be fully informed in her decision to turn down that help if she can’t think rationally and finally (c) manage all of that while her partner is dealing with at best his recovery or what appears to be his addiction at the moment? If you’re response to discourse is to denegrate rather than evaluate the opinions of others then there is no point in the discussion is there?
While I feel for her, the programme also highlighted both she and her partner have addiction problems. Neither mention whether they are seeking help to recover from those. I’m tired of how people are quick to jump to say “it’s someone else’s fault I’m this way”. There has to be a certain amount of personal responsibility taken here. And before people jump all over me, I’ve beaten an addiction before and I’m aware the potential to fall back is always there- hence why I have to take my own responsibility. Did it suck recovering? Yes. But the government provides great addiction recovery services so let’s look at the first before playing the victim to an uncaring regime.
@Lisa Saputo: Do they provide excellent recovery services? I doubt there is enough to go around considering all the other healthcare issues in the State.
@Lisa Saputo: Yes, they do. There are plenty of services available and they are excellent. Any GP or health service will go out of their way to help someone recover from drug or alcohol addiction; it’s the reason they’re there- to help people. But as I said, it’s very tough; it needs to be combined with mental health care- that’s where we need some more help. But if they’re not going to even make an attempt to help themselves, then a line has to be drawn.
@Lisa Saputo: um, well since the original commenter implies that they beat their addiction using then then I’d say yes.
@The Supreme Being: you don’t have an intellectual disability though and that’s the difference here. It’s not obvious so people think she is just like everybody else but she isn’t. It affects her. It’s not a mental health issue either it’s a life long disability. Combine that with living in care for most of your life and you have an incredibly vulnerable young woman. The only help offered was to put her in a unit with other adults with intellectual disabilities but they were not at her level. She should have the supports to live independently and get clean. She needs a much higher level of support than others. Or perhaps we should just lock all adults with intellectual disabilities away.
@The Supreme Being: From experience working with homeless these services aren’t as commonly available as you may think. As someone who has beaten addiction surely you understand how difficult it is, can you only imagine how much worse it would be if you had to go to a homeless hostel at night full of people using? I am surprised at how narrow-minded your comments considering your experience.
Maybe it’s just me, but while I do feel sympathy for her , I can’t not feel a bit mad that she is expecting the state to mind her. Easy for me to say I suppose, however the article doesn’t make me feel all that sorry for her.
@Mark Murphy: the state has minded her since she was a child, in this case I genuinely feel like she doesn’t know another way.
@Mark Murphy: I can’t believe your comment. First of all did you miss the part where the girl has a mild intellectual disability ? This affects her in many ways and means she is a very vulnerable young person. Secondly care leavers are often discharged from care without any skills to help themselves in financial matters and so on. This is common enough in young adults but very serious when you don’t have parents to pick up the pieces for you. Lastly the service providers that placed her in a unit with others with more severe disabilities really should be held accountable here. It wasn’t what the young woman wanted and she clearly wasn’t with people at her own level which is really very important. Independent living is the goal for all adults and that’s no different for adults with intellectual disabilities. Families spend much of the child’s life preparing for this. This young woman clearly didn’t have this as she was in care for much of her life. Residential care only produces people who can live in residential care and not independent living . Denying this young woman the supports to live independently and have a relationship quite frankly is scary. Let’s keep our adults with intellectual disabilities locked up in units and deny them a normal life like we have always done. Meanwhile the rest of the western world actually supports and expects independent living for its adults with intellectual disabilities .
She didn’t choose her intellectual disability and she can’t cure herself of it.
Eh maybe go look for a job? Stop waiting for hand outs
@leonard byrne: would you employ her?
@Seán O’Keeffe: nobody asks me if I am homeless when looking for a job.. Especially in retail they take anyone. You can be making easy money cleaning/stacking shelfs in no time. Also there are council owned gyms, which are free and you can have a shower.. At least in Dublin. If she is not a drug addict and willing she can get a job. Then get a place sharing. Having your own place is nearly impossible even for long term employed young people. But where there is will there is way.
@Joe Dobias: she has an intellectual disability. That means she may have difficulties in getting a job and keeping a job. Do you understand what that means ? She is a vulnerable adult who may never be able to work and will need supports to live independently. She was offered a place in a unit with adults that had intellectual disabilities that were not at her level. The service providers in adult services for people with disabilities has a lot to answer for here. She should get the supports that allow her to live independently. She doesn’t want to be put into a unit to live she wants the chance to live independently go to college and have a relationship. That’s pretty much what all adults want . She will need support though. Many kinds of people need support but s young person out of care with a mild intellectual disability is one that should be at the top of the list .
@Catherine Sims: No, they really shouldn’t.
@leonard byrne: People with intellectual disability find it extremely hard to find a job and when they do, you would be surprised how many do it on a free basis. they may only do 2 hours unpaid and thats no joke. Basically if you’ve any sort of mental impairment you’re taken advantaged of, call that pc bullshit all you want. But rather than “look for a job” mantra perhaps do some research. Most employers would avoid anyone with ID.
There seems to be so many people with so many problems. There’s no doubt the state (us) is under pressure. In the past family would likely have stepped in but it seems that is happening less and less. I don’t know what the answer is but individual houses for each person seems a huge, unreachable, stretch.
Like others I struggle to feel sorry for her current situation. She wants to be cared for but when offered two different types of care it wasn’t enough she wanted a place to herself. That’s all well and good but I find it interesting she mentions wanting to go study and have this place of her own but no mention of wanting to work to pay anything towards this place of her own.
@Leanne.: You clearly missed the part where she has an intellectual disability . Even a mild one means she is affected in most areas. She is a vulnerable young woman who needs support to live independently. She may never be able to work . Her disability might not be obvious like those in wheelchairs but it’s still there affecting her on probably every level. I suppose you think she should have stayed in the unit for adults with learning disabilities that were not at her level ? Lock them away !!! People with disabilities need supports she needs support to live independently. Apart from her intellectual disability she was in care most of her life so received no preparation for life that families put into their kids with intellectual disabilities. This preparation starts at birth. Independent living and going to college and even having a relationship should be possible for her it’s really not too much to expect . She should have the supports for this .
@Catherine Sims: “If” she has an intellectual disability.
@Catherine Sims: Not clearly missed at all, a mild learning disability doesn’t mean she can’t work, if she has the ability to be able to study she has the ability to work. There’s people with learning disabilities opening their own businesses now so nothing is stopping this girl for at least wanting to earn some of her own money. I certainly didn’t say she should be locked away. I imagine if the article said people wouldn’t hire her because of her mild learning disability there would be plenty of people saying she can work then.
What she needs to do is look after herself and her boyfriends “issues”. Does she know she is being used?
While I feel sorry for her situation but is it me or do we have a Millennium Child Syndrome ? So many people of this age seem to have given up making any effort and totally rely on others to solve even the day to day issues that we all face without issue.
@David Conroy: Actually we have someone with a mild intellectual disability who was in care most of her young life . She hasn’t exactly been spoiled here. She has been disadvantaged from the day of her birth. She didn’t choose this on any level and your ignorance on this matter is astounding !!!!
@Catherine Sims: I did say I was sorry for her situation and I did not say she had it easy either. I merely asked in general about the Millennium Children as we now have record numbers of able bodied people not coping with everyday issues. Don’t be so fast to judge people you do not know, it’s the height of bad manners and ignorance !
@David Conroy: Stop the attempts at damage limitation. Your comment was perfectly clear. You got called out on your appalling ignorance . It’s as simple as that !!!
@Catherine Sims: There is no answering you Catherine, you have your mind made up already and see what you want to see. Have a nice day and don’t let anyone spoil it for you !
@David Conroy: Take responsibility for your comment David . Stop trying to deflect by pushing it back on me. It’s very transparent and it’s not working.
I’m not making any comment until Catherine Sims approves it first!
@Catherine Sims: perhaps if you had posted a stand alone comment outlining your points people would have paid heed. You have repeatedly berated and questioned other posters intellectual ability, not nice Catherine, not nice at all.
“She found it difficult to stay with family also, and so has been homeless in Dublin moving about different hostels in the city centre and sleeping on the streets for about three years.”
so, she could stay with family, but decided not to. Instead she takes up beds in crowded hostels and people with nowhere else to go get turned away.
If the authorities are not doing enough to help her, what is she doing?
@Do the Bort man: Considering she was taken away from her family and put into care, they’re probably not the best people for her to be around.
Sad to see a UCC graduate fall on hard times
Also “she wants to go to college and study acting”.
Fine – PAY FOR IT! I’m bloody not!
@CeannairBlue: Who paid for your education ? Me probably !!! Your hospitals your roads your children’s allowance when you were a child . This is a person with a mild intellectual disability who has been in care most of her life . She is a vulnerable young woman who needs support. Her disability might not be obvious like those in wheelchairs but it’s still there affecting her . She didn’t choose this !!!!!
@Catherine Sims: You are so gullible.
Would you like to buy this bridge ?
And TRUST ME – you paid f**k all to my education.
Watching a show on RTE last night. Seems to be plenty of empty houses up in Letrim. I’m sure you can get the dole and drugs up there too. Why don’t they send her and that winner of a boyfriend up there.
Sad, but in fairness she had accommodation. Not ideal accommodation, but the fact remains.
The common denominator in all of this is blame, whether it be homelessness through addiction or crazy mortgages, we have a problem with people who don’t see personal responsibility as the problem, it’s always someone else’s fault.
It’s time they sucked it up and start realising they alone are in control of their destiny. Where we end up at the end of our lives is mostly down to our own decisions. Deal with it.
She woke up in the morning with nothing to do and went to bed with it half done.
The issue is that there is no or very little support for children who come out of care at 18.For children with psychological problems the situation is magnified.
I’m not making any comment until Catherine Sims approves it first!
Many of the comments focus, to a considerable degree, on a subjective and facile distinction between the deserving poor and the undeserving poor, making the moral judgement from a position of comfortable complacency that the couple are undeserving.
The expedient and practical focus should be from a society point of view not leaving a couple of human beings on the scrap heap of life. Instead, the focus should be on helping them to become self sufficient and even productive. If that is the objective, the supports need to be out in place. The supports are accommodation, social workers, addiction counsellors and occupational training.
The status quo is not working. So, logically the point is to fix this situation and others like it.
It serves no purpose to sit in judgment or to ignore the reality of a live in State care, abandoned at 18, destitution, living with a mild learning impairment in an increasingly knowledge and skilled economy.
This is not about emotionalism or altruism. It is about pragmatism and fixing a problem instead of self indulgently moaning about it.
Abandoning children in State care at age 18 has been proven to be a damaging policy. It is not really a policy.
Look at cause, effect and solution.
One thing that you are certain of on the journal is-is that you will get a bunch of people that have had it very easy all the way through their life,and they will never ever understand or want to understand,what this poor girl had to go through since she was a young child..
@No To Forced Births!: you are correct. That is a fine comment. It is a decent thing to say. You understand.
@No To Forced Births!: well said !!!
Has everyone missed the part where she has a mild intellectual disability ? This makes her a vulnerable adult straight away. An intellectual disability will affect her in many ways even if it is mild. Secondly she has been in care for most of her life and many care leavers are not equipped to mange their affairs. Common in young adults generally but more serious when you don’t have parents to help you pick up the pieces.
This woman was placed in a unit with others who were not at her level. This is appalling !!! It clearly wasn’t right for her and it was just stashing our adults with intellectual disabilities into residential care units like this country has always done. Independent living is the goal of any adult but more so for adults with learning disabilities. Families spend all the child’s life preparing for this but this young woman was in care most of her life and clearly she didn’t have that support. This isn’t just about homelessness it’s about supporting adults with intellectual disabilities in independent living. It’s what’s done in every western country but here in Ireland we still want to stuck them in residential care. Why is this woman being denied the chance at a normal life ? She should also be able to have a partner. He needs help too and both are clearly very vulnerable .
@Dean Burroughs: Why do you comment on things you clearly know nothing about ????
@Dean Burroughs: kys
@Catherine Sims: It hasn’t stopped you Catherine !
@David Conroy: I’d check more but I can’t be bothered – but there’s EIGHT time “Catherine Sims” has mentioned the alleged “intellectual disability”.
Where is the proof ? Clearly the woman concerned has no issue finding supermarkets and takeaways!
@CeannairBlue: Catherine Sims will be along shortly to call you names !! €:-)
@Catherine Sims:are you a doctor? There are plenty of people with mild intellectual disabilities who are independent. My own son suffers with autism that does not mean he should get everything handed to him. She wants her own place yet most working people have to share because of high rents. She was able to get her story out there and be interviewed by the journal so i dont see whats stopping her trying to get work. Oh and when you start to reply remember im a gentle soul who deserves the same respect as anyone else :)
@Catherine Sims: you ask why this woman is being denied a chance of a normal life. She gets no help from anyone and in ireland that is normal im afraid. Do you or me get a place just because we want one ? No so her not getting one is her being treated normal. She has a mild disability quick give her a house that will do the job. Why dont you let her stay with you if your so outraged?
I am going to put it here, I am not going state everything however. I would consider myself luckier than her in terms of condition I call mine very mild at least, I can still live independently, etc but is it noticeable? Yes many a time when I was naive, (late teens obviously naive back then too) I would be very open, big mistake, a paying job position would magically turn into a job bridge. People would change in social terms and would go out of their way to try trigger me. My overall experience of people from a young age is negative I still care but my opinion of people is very low most of the time.
I am again lucky never to be in care, but she obviously was taken out of her family care for a reason. Again I can only easily guess why. There just seems to be this thing where people love ripping on those with ID.
I admit it does not help she has a boyfriend with addiction issues, He has a responsibility to clean up for her sake as well as his own.
I again can never place myself within their category as I can live independently, But for those who do like poking at them, try for a second to imagine struggling to find employment and having some stranger dictate how you will live your life, what you eat, what you watch, what you partake in. How opportunities for paid employment are barely in reach for those who try hard.
My advice to anyone is very mild condition or id and can hide it do so when it comes to employment I know you may feel dishonest but its pretty much the only way to get a chance from my experience.
So officialdom accepts she can’t live in a house on her own without supports.
She can however live in a Tent ?????
I’d love to see someone official explain the logic of this. The mild learning disability explains why she has specific support needs.
But these supports can’t be offered in a TENT.
My thinking is that the State want to force her into a solution that doesnt work for her because they won’t invest in the right care for her.
It’s about providing a “bed” rather then the proper care.
It’s like going into a hospital with a heart attack and being treated by an orthopedic surgeon rather then a cardiac specialist . And when you or your family complain – getting put into an Ambulance outside the front door.
That’s insane but it’s exactly the type of issue here
@Lisa Murphy: Unfortunately FG & Shamelessly Labour introduced HAP. FF seem ok with this SHORTERM measure. We need proper social permanent housing. Would we get a sleeping bag in another EU state nevermind a social house for life? EU citizens housed in hotels for only a short time & then being given housing association home for possibly life after crying to the council & stepping over the native Irish homeless on the way in like that recent RTE doc. What would we get in their countries? We can’t cry saying are have only moved a few places on the housing list in a few weeks. Is there anywhere in the world where you can get a social home for possibly life before any of their countries local citizens on housing lists???
That poor women like she is not in care and she wants to be independent. She is 18 in my eyes that’s classify as an adult. She should be able to make her own decisions where she wants to live. I feel sorry for her that she is living in a tent I hope she gets somewhere nice and warm to stay
@Brian O’Loughlin: Should she be?
This is not right at all! There are too many people homeless! The system is wrong and is letting our people down. The money that is wasted in this country is criminal and is getting worse!
FG policy of keep recovery going going well?? What will Leo & HOUSING ministers bout this??
@Glen Quagmire: maybe they need to stop her junkie boyfriend from shooting up.
Part of the issue here is that Eileena having a mild intellectoral disability was put in a service with those with a more severe disability.
The potential issues with this are
1) She has a timetable planned based on someone else’s needs – this might be staff or other resident needs.
2) the rules of her accomodation may be based on someone else’s needs.
3) her ability to develop as a person is impacted by 1) and 2).
4) she should have supports geared to HER needs not someone else’s.
5) what should her future be???
@EUGENE 70 percent: She could also be lying.
have your say