- Title: Pompeo grilled on Iran, friendship with Trump; confirms Mueller interview
- Date: 12th April 2018
- Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (APRIL 12, 2018) (UNRESTRICTED POOL) PRESIDENT TRUMP'S NOMINEE FOR SECRETARY OF STATE MIKE POMPEO ARRIVING FOR CONFIRMATION HEARING WIDE OF ROOM, CODE PINK ACTIVISTS SEATED IN AUDIENCE WIDE OF ROOM CODE PINK PROTESTER HOLDING UP A POSTER, CHANTING "THIS MAN IS NO DIPLOMAT" PROTESTER BEING TAKEN AWAY WIDE OF SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE (SOUNDBITE) (English) REPUBLICAN SENATOR BOB CORKER SAYING: "I know that you have developed a close relationship with the president and I believe that relationship could well serve you if you're confirmed as Secretary of State. However many strong voices have been terminated or resigned. That's why I think it's fair for our members to ask whether your relationship is rooted in a candid, healthy, give and take dynamic or whether it's based on deferential willingness to go along to get along." (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEMOCRATIC SENATOR BOB MENANDEZ SAYING: "Will you enable President Trump's worst instincts? Would you advocate for long term strategies to protect U.S. national security and interests or will you be lurching from crisis to crisis as we've seen under this administration? Will you advocate for robust diplomacy or will you take America into unnecessary and costly wars? Will you stand up to President Trump and say 'No you were wrong in that view Mr. President' or will you be a yes man?" WIDE OF ROOM (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT TRUMP'S NOMINEE FOR SECRETARY OF STATE MIKE POMPEO SAYING: "I'm happy to answer questions about our administration's policies, the work that we're doing. You're asking about conversations--- you should know Senator as well - I spoke with Special Counsel Mueller who interviewed me, requested an interview. I cooperated. Your colleagues on the Senate Intelligence Committee have asked for information from me and from the Central Intelligence Agency as has the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence I think the leaders of those two organizations in a bipartisan way would say I've been cooperative and in matters..." MENENDEZ: "You have spoken to Special Counsel Mueller?" POMPEO: "Yes that's correct" MENENDEZ: "And what was the subject of that conversation?" POMPEO: "Senator I'm not going to speak to that." MENENDEZ: "Did the Special Counsel tell you not to speak?" POMPEO: "Senator. I have cooperated with multiple investigations while the investigation continues. I think that's the appropriate way to approach it and you should know and no one here today should take away any - because of the fact that I don't want to speak out - there should be no negative inferences with respect to anything ,or for that matter positive inferences, about the fact that I think it's most appropriate that while these investigations continue I not speak to the conversations I've had with the various investigators." (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEMOCRATIC SENATOR BEN CARDIN SAYING: "What is your view as to whether America should withdraw unilaterally from the Iran nuclear agreement?" (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT TRUMP'S NOMINEE FOR SECRETARY OF STATE MIKE POMPEO SAYING: "I want to fix this deal. That's the objective I think that's in the best interest..." CARDIN: But if the agreement cannot be changed, my question is pretty simple. We are running very close to a deadline on certification. What is your view? Is it better to pull out of an agreement that Iran is in compliance with if we can't fix it or is it better to stay in the agreement?" POMPEO: "Senator, it's not a yes or no question because it's a hypothetical. We are not that point." CARDIN: "The president has to certify on May the 12. " POMPEO: Yes sir, that's that's yet almost a month away. It depends - clearly if we're close. Imagine just as a hypothetical matter, imagine we're close to achieving the fix that the president has asked the State Department to achieve. If we're close. In the event that we conclude that we can't fix this deal - that these serious shortcomings that you Senator Cardin yourself have identified - then the president is going to be given best advice including by me. And if there's no chance that we can fix it I will recommend to the president that we do our level best to work with our allies to achieve a better outcome and a better deal." WIDE OF COMMITTEE (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEMOCRATIC SENATOR BEN CARDIN SAYING: " Are you in favor of regime change in North Korea?" (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT TRUMP'S NOMINEE FOR SECRETARY OF STATE MIKE POMPEO SAYING: "We have a responsibility to achieve a condition where Kim Jong Un is unable to threaten the United States of America with a nuclear weapon. CARDIN: "So are you saying you don't favor a regime change?" POMPEO: "Senator I have never advocated for regime change. I have all along.." CARDIN: It's a simple question? You don't believe..." POMPEO: "I am happy to answer today that I am not advocating for regime change." WIDE OF COMMITTEE
- Embargoed: 26th April 2018 18:04
- Keywords: Pompeo hearing Pompeo Trump Pompeo Mueller Pompeo Iran
- Location: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES
- City: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0018B4L07B
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: CIA Director Mike Pompeo, President Donald Trump's nominee to be secretary of state, said on Thursday (April 12) he had been interviewed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
During questioning at his Senate confirmation hearing, Pompeo declined to discuss details of "private conversations" with Trump when asked if Trump had talked to him about the Russia investigation, which includes probing possible collusion by Trump's campaign with Moscow. But he said the president had never asked him to do anything improper.
The start of Pompeo's hearing was disrupted by half a dozen protesters chanting "No Pompeo, no more war" before they were led out by security officials.
Trump developed a warm relationship with Pompeo during White House meetings over the first year of his presidency and believes the former Republican congressman shares more of his world view than Tillerson, who at times disagreed with the president.
Senators have said they want to make sure that Pompeo will be able to stand up to Trump, and they pressed him on the issue.
Senator Bob Corker, the Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said it was fair to question whether his relationship with Trump was "rooted in a candid, healthy and give-and-take dynamic."
Pompeo, who is seen as more of a hard-liner than Tillerson on issues including the nuclear agreement with Iran that he strongly opposed, said he wants to work with U.S. allies to fix the deal. - Copyright Holder: POOL (CAN SELL)
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