On Fox News Sunday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo dodged and deflected when asked about Donald Trump’s conversations with the president of Ukraine in which Trump reportedly pressured him to dig up dirt on Joe Biden’s son, possibly in return for the release of U.S. aid.
On Friday (and updated Saturday), The Wall Street Journal reported that in a July phone call, Trump “pressured the president of Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden’s son” and urged President Volodymyr Zelensky “about eight times to work with Rudy Giuliani on a probe that could hamper Mr. Trump’s potential 2020 opponent.” However, the Journal’s source also said he or she “didn’t believe” Trump offered any quid pro quo in that conversation.
Since Team Trump insists Dear Leader did nothing wrong, you would think Pompeo would be happy to spell out what he knows, even if he doesn’t want to disclose the particulars.
Instead, Pompeo answered nearly every question by deflecting to another subject – and that should raise everybody’s suspicions. Especially since Sean Hannity has said that Giuliani was conducting official State Department business in his dealings with Ukraine.
First, anchor John Roberts asked about The Wall Street Journal story: “To your mind, is that an appropriate conversation for Rudy Giuliani to be having with Ukrainian officials?”
Had Pompeo just said he didn’t feel it appropriate to comment on the matter I’d not think anything of it. But his sly equivocations got my Spidey senses tingling.
POMPEO: Well, John, you're asking me to comment on an I.C. report I haven't seen and some reporting - I have no idea if that has any foundation whatsoever. As for appropriate action, I've watched the president engage with the Ukrainian leadership. I’ve listened to conversations.
Not only did Pompeo avoid answering the question, he hinted that he knew what had happened in that phone call. But he disingenuously feigned ignorance by saying he didn’t know what was in the reports of the phone call. Then Pompeo immediately swerved to talk up Trump’s handling of Ukraine and bash President Barack Obama’s – which had nothing to do with the question at hand. Pompeo concluded by saying that if Biden had “engaged in behavior that was inappropriate … I do hope that we get to the bottom of that.”
Roberts did not mention that the Biden accusation has been completely debunked. Nor did he challenge Pompeo’s evasion. However, Roberts did note that Pompeo almost certainly knew what had happened during Trump’s July call with Zelensky and asked if it was “as described in The Wall Street Journal.”
When Pompeo claimed he had not read The Wall Street Journal article, Roberts got to the heart of the issue. “Was there a quid pro quo -- was there a request to investigate Biden and/or his son? And was that linked to a promise of aid?” he asked.
This time, Pompeo’s evasive deflection was even fishier:
POMPEO: John, I've watched this president evaluate how and when and to the extent we should provide support to Ukraine, both defense assistance and other foreign assistance, we've been at the center of that.
Those conversations have always been 100 percent appropriate, 100 percent lawful, and 100 percent ensuring that the American taxpayers were protected, that we put those resources to good use and we got good outcomes in Ukraine when we used American taxpayer dollars to support the Ukrainian leadership -- every single time, John.
ROBERTS: If there was a quid pro quo, would that be a problem?
POMPEO: John, you're asking me to provide legal analysis on a hypothetical on a report I haven't seen. Come on.
But Pompeo had just tacitly acknowledged he knew what had happened in the conversation(s) and was merely denying not having seen a report on any of them. Also, Pompeo is a Harvard Law School graduate who wrote for its prestigious Journal of Law & Public Policy. There’s no way he wouldn’t know what’s appropriate or not.
The fact that Pompeo refused to say, pretended to be unable to say and sent up smoke screens on the subject looks like he has something to hide. Unfortunately, Roberts did not call out Pompeo’s shifty behavior.
Watch it below, from the September 22, 2019 Fox News Sunday.
Signs We are Entering the End of Days:-
Ruining of the earth by mankind.—Revelation 11:18.
Noteworthy displays of religious hypocrisy.—2 Timothy 3:5.
Slanderers without self-control, betrayers, puffed up with pride.”—2 Timothy 3:1-4.
Thanks, Bible.