Updated November 19th, 2019 at 13:41 IST

‘Not going to do it’: Pompeo refuses to defend attacked diplomat

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on November 18 refused to defend the attacked diplomat in US President Donald Trump's impeachment proceedings inquiry.

Reported by: Sounak Mitra
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US State Secretary Mike Pompeo on November 18 refused to defend the attacked diplomat in US President Donald Trump's impeachment proceedings inquiry and said that he was proud of the State Department. Pompeo managed to maintain a warm relationship with US President Donald Trump for around three years and is facing a tough time as diplomats are required to testify before the Congress. He declined to answer the questions of the reporters in which he was asked about Trump's tweet disparaging Marie Yovanovitch, the former ambassador to Ukraine as she was addressing the lawmakers on Friday.

READ: Iran Slams US State Secretary Mike Pompeo For Backing Protesters

Pompeo says he has always defended State Department

He said that he will "defer to the White House" about particular statements. Pompeo defended himself after heated criticism from former diplomats that he has not stood up for the State Department. He added that he has always backed the State Department employees. He said that he is very proud of the team and said that it is the greatest diplomatic corps in the history of the world.
Pompeo also mentioned that he was aware of the reasons for Yovanovitch's sudden removal in May. Pompeo said that the change was made to enable some wicked purpose. During Friday's hearing, Trump tweeted, "everywhere Marie Yovanovitch went turned bad" causing widespread panic in the room with the former ambassador calling the President's intervention very intimidating.

READ: In Berlin, Pompeo Says Allied Democracies Must Work Together

Trump lashes out at Pompeo

The Trump-Pompeo bond is very strong and the President defends his foreign policy. The bond has long been seen as unbreakable. But according to the reports, Trump blamed Pompeo who is responsible for hiring officials who have testified and for not preventing them from speaking to Congress. Trump is going through an impeachment inquiry over allegations that he pressurized Ukraine to start investigating the 2020 Presidential candidate and rival Joe Biden and his son.

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Published November 19th, 2019 at 12:29 IST