Mike Pompeo's State Department has held 10 'daily' press briefings in 82 days

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published 23 July 2018

Under Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the State Department has held just 10 "daily" press briefings in more than 80 days, ABC News reported Monday. Since Pompeo's swearing-in ceremony on May 2, 82 days ago, there is only one State Department spokeswoman who has delivered official briefings: Heather Nauert, who "travels with Pompeo for all his trips — something that she rarely did with her previous boss, Rex Tillerson — so she has been out of the country for days at a time with him," ABC News notes.

Because of Nauert's more extensive travel under Pompeo's leadership, there is a gaping void at the State Department's lectern. Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez (N.J.) sent the department a letter, obtained by ABC News on Monday, that urged Pompeo to resume daily briefings to the press. "At a time of unprecedented, head-spinning developments for U.S. foreign policy, our relationship with our allies, and our role on the world stage, the lack of interaction with the American public and the world via the press is particularly concerning," Menendez wrote, per ABC News.

President Trump late Sunday issued an all-caps Twitter threat to Iran, and his summit last week with Russian President Vladimir Putin drew much scrutiny from both sides of the aisle. When contacted by ABC News for comment, Nauert said the department would "respond accordingly" to Menedez's letter, but noted that under Pompeo the access for traveling reporters to the secretary has dramatically increased, compared to under Tillerson's direction. Read more at ABC News.