Pompeo confirms he was on Trump's Ukraine call
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
The reports are true, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has confirmed: he was, indeed, on President Trump's call with Ukraine.
"I was on the phone call," Pompeo said in a news conference Wednesday.
This confirmation followed a report from The Wall Street Journal Monday that Pompeo was listening in on Trump's July call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which became the subject of a whistleblower complaint due to Trump asking Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden. Prior to this reporting, Pompeo dodged when asked a question about Trump's call in an interview.
Article continues belowThe Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"So, you just gave me a report about a I.C. whistleblower complaint, none of which I've seen," Pompeo told ABC on Sept. 22.
Pompeo was also asked Wednesday to comment on whether he heard anything inappropriate on the call, but he dodged this portion of the question, instead saying the United States' policy toward Ukraine has been "remarkably consistent" while dismissing the ongoing "noise" surrounding the call.
Amid a dispute with Congress about State Department officials' depositions, Pompeo also once again blasted House Democrats' "bullying" while saying the department will "do our constitutional duty to cooperate" with the impeachment probe. Brendan Morrow
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
