CNN's Jake Tapper presses Biden's national security adviser on 'priority' of American hostages held by Hamas

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CNN host questions whether Israeli hostages are 'priority' in interview with Biden official

CNN's Jake Tapper questioned whether rescuing American hostages in Gaza was a priority for the Biden administration on Sunday during an interview with National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.

CNN's Jake Tapper questioned President Biden's national security adviser on Sunday about whether hostages taken by Hamas were a "priority" for the Biden administration.

"Is rescuing the hostages a priority at all? Israeli news media like Haaretz, they say it doesn’t seem like it at all," Tapper asked. "And frankly, Jake, if my kids were being held hostage in Gaza, and as you know, there are Americans being held hostage in Gaza right now, I'd want you to send in the Navy SEALs. What’s the conversation like in the White House about the U.S. conducting any sort of operations in order to save Americans being held hostage in Gaza?" 

Sullivan responded and said Biden's been clear about wanting to get Americans back to the U.S. safely.

"The Israelis are bombing the crap out of Gaza, I mean, it doesn’t seem like saving the hostages are a priority at all right now," Tapper said.

Jake Tapper interviewed NSA Jake Sullivan on Sunday and questioned whether the hostages were a priority.  (Screenshot/CNN)

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"Well, for President Biden, they are a priority. They’re the highest possible priority. And he has sent hostage experts to coordinate and consult with the Israeli government on hostage recovery efforts. He’s also made sure that our diplomats are in touch with third countries in the region to explore avenues for their safe release. I have to be cautious about how much I can say about certain efforts he’s undertaking, because we want to protect those efforts to give us the best possible chance of getting our people home," Sullivan responded.

He added that the administration does not at this point have the location of the Americans taken hostage by Hamas.  

"So we have to continue to refine our understanding of where they are, and who they are. Because we know there are 15 unaccounted for Americans, but we cannot confirm the precise number of American hostages being held by Hamas at this time," he continued. 

Sullivan said all they can do is continue to work with Israel on hostage recovery and said they have not discussed the idea of a possible prisoner swap with Hamas. 

John Kirby, national security council coordinator, speaks during a news conference in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., US, on Wednesday, June 15, 2022. (Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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"I will say that President Biden has shown over the course of the past few years, that he will make hard decisions to get American hostages home. In this case, our focus is on working through those third country channels and I’ll leave it at that for now," he said.

White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby was also asked about American hostages on Sunday. 

"We are actively trying to find out where they are," Kirby told Fox News' Shannon Bream. "We don’t even know how many exactly. A small handful we know, but there could be more than we know. They could be in different groups. They could be moved around. I think you can understand. I hope everybody can understand – we’re gonna be careful about what we say publicly about our efforts to get those hostages home."

President Joe Biden delivers remarks to service members, first responders, and their families on the 22nd anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on September 11, 2023. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

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