Tag Archives: Mike Pompeo

CNBC reports: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday lashed out at Democrats investigating him, particularly Sen. Bob Menendez, as he defended his recommendation to President Donald Trump to fire the State Department’s internal watchdog. Pompeo has come under intense scrutiny since Trump followed through on his Cabinet official’s urging to fire Inspector General Steve Linick. “This is all coming …

NBC News reports: As federal workers file out of the State Department at the end of a Washington workday, an elite group is often just arriving in the marbled, flag-lined lobby: Billionaire CEOs, Supreme Court justices, political heavyweights and ambassadors arrive in evening attire as they’re escorted by private elevator to dinner with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Until the …

Courthouse News reports: Amplifying scrutiny on the recent firing of the State Department inspector general, one lawmaker revealed today that Steve Linick had been investigating not only Secretary Mike Pompeo but President Donald Trump as well. “I’ve learned there may be another reason for IG Linick’s firing,” Representative Eliot Engel tweeted this afternoon. “His office was investigating — at my …

The Washington Post reports: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo confirmed Monday that he asked President Trump to fire the State Department inspector general because his work was “undermining” the department’s mission, but he declined to describe any specific concerns. In a telephone interview, Pompeo said the decision was not an act of political retaliation, because he did not know beforehand …

NBC News reports: A Democrat aide told NBC news the inspector general “was looking into the Secretary’s misuse of a political appointee at the Department to perform personal tasks for himself and Mrs. Pompeo.” Pompeo is married to Susan Pompeo, who’s been known to travel with the Secretary of State and was listed as “Special Assistant to the Secretary of …

CNBC reports: President Donald Trump fired the State Department’s inspector general on the recommendation of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a White House official said Saturday. Trump fired State Department Inspector General Steve Linick Friday night, notifying Congress of the decision in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Trump, who has targeted several government agency watchdogs in the past …

ABC News reports: The White House fired the State Department Inspector General late Friday, according to a State Department spokesperson and a senior congressional aide — the latest senior U.S. official involved in the impeachment probe into President Donald Trump to be forced out by his administration. The inspector general, who acts as an independent watchdog responsible for investigating the …

Politico reports: Senate Republicans have a problem in Kansas. And they still think Mike Pompeo is the solution. Staring at a messy primary, a credible Democratic challenger and a real battle for Senate control, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is pushing for the secretary of State to jump into the race with just weeks to go until the filing deadline. …

ABC News reports: Secretary of State Pompeo is leaning even harder into his attacks on the Chinese government over the novel coronavirus pandemic — even as he further walks back his claim that the U.S. has “enormous evidence” a biomedical laboratory in Wuhan, China, is responsible for the outbreak. The change comes as an intelligence official says there is no …

France 24 reports: China’s state broadcaster CCTV on Monday attacked US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s “insane and evasive remarks” over the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, further fuelling Sino-US tensions. Pompeo on Sunday said “enormous evidence” showed the virus originated in a lab in China, doubling down on previous claims that have been repeatedly denied by the World Health …

Bloomberg News reports: U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said “enormous evidence” shows the novel coronavirus outbreak began in a laboratory in Wuhan, China, but didn’t provide any proof for his claims. “I can tell you that there is a significant amount of evidence that this came from that laboratory in Wuhan,” Pompeo said on ABC’s “This Week.” “These are …

Reuters reports: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said a fundamental reform of the World Health Organization was needed following its handling of the coronavirus pandemic and that the United States, the WHO’s biggest donor, may never restore funding to the U.N. body. As Pompeo launched fresh attacks on the U.N. body on Wednesday, Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives …

The Hill reports: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pressed Group of Seven (G-7) leaders to refer to the novel coronavirus as the “Wuhan virus,” according to a report by the German magazine Der Spiegel. The G-7 leaders have thus far not been able to agree on a joint statement because of Pompeo’s insistence that the group should refer to the …

CBNC reports: Members of President Donald Trump’s coronavirus task force hold a press briefing Friday at the White House as authorities on the local and state levels take drastic measures to slow the spread of the disease. On Thursday, California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a statewide order for all residents to ‘stay at home’ until further notice. On Friday, Governor …

Politico reports: The State Department is set to announce a Level 4 travel advisory applying to all international travel, its most severe warning, three individuals with knowledge of the pending announcement said. The advisory, which appears to be unprecedented, would instruct all Americans abroad to either return to the United States or prepare to shelter in place, given the global …

NBC News reports: The U.S. government has collected persuasive intelligence that the Taliban do not intend to honor the promises they have made in the recently signed deal with the United States, three American officials tell NBC News, undercutting what has been days of hopeful talk by President Donald Trump and his top aides. “They have no intention of abiding …

Via press release from Sec. Mike Pompeo: The State Department continues to support President Trump’s strong leadership and whole-of-government approach to protect Americans. There’s no higher duty for us. I’m sure you’ve all seen the President’s briefings and updates from CDC and HHS, and the good news that Deborah Birx from our team here at the State Department is now …

Agence France-Presse reports: The Taliban said Monday they were resuming offensive operations against Afghan security forces, ending the partial truce that preceded the signing of a deal between the insurgents and Washington. The declaration comes only a day after President Ashraf Ghani said he would continue the partial truce at least until talks between Afghan officials and the Taliban kick-off, …

Reuters reports: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo defended the Trump administration’s response to the spreading coronavirus and faced contentious questions from Democrats about an attack that killed Iran’s most powerful general. Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs Committee expressed frustration that the panel was afforded only two hours to question Pompeo, who until Friday had gone months without a public …

Politico reports: U.S. officials and the Taliban have reached an “understanding” that could result in a “reduction in violence” in Afghanistan, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Friday, paving the way for an agreement later this month that would bring to an end America’s longest war. “After decades of conflict, we have come to an understanding with the Taliban on …