President Trump called out the New York Times during his early morning meeting with recently released American prisoners Thursday, joking with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that the newspaper “couldn’t find him” during his trip to North Korea.
The President was referring to an article in the Times that mocked Pompeo for being “thousands of miles away” while the President announced his decision to withdraw from the Iranian nuclear agreement.
It became clear within hours that the Secretary of State was “missing” due to his trip to North Korea to secure the release of American prisoners.
“I think our Secretary of State, despite the fact the New York Times said he was missing, he was in North Korea. I think our Secretary of State did a fantastic job,” said Trump.
“Mike, did you know that you were missing? They couldn’t find you,” he joked. “They couldn’t find him. They couldn’t find him because he was in North Korea.”
Watch the President’s comments above.
BUSTED! NY Times ATTACKS 'Absent' Pompeo During Secret RESCUE MISSION
The New York Times viciously slammed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Tuesday, accusing the senior Trump aide of being “thousands of miles away” during the President’s Iran speech; despite the fact he was in North Korea negotiating the release of three prisoners.
According to Fox News, the Times blasted Pompeo for not being on hand as the President announced his decision to withdraw from the Iranian nuclear agreement; saying he was missing at a “key moment” of the Trump presidency.
“Senior State Department officials were momentarily speechless on Tuesday when asked why Mr. Pompeo did not delay his trip by a day to be in Washington during Mr. Trump’s Iran deal announcement,” writes the Times.
“The absence of Mr. Pompeo and other top State Department officials left perplexed European diplomats privately complaining that they were having trouble getting answers from Washington,” the author added.
It became clear by Wednesday that the reason Pompeo was “thousands of miles away” was to oversee the transfer of three American prisoners from North Korean officials to US custody.
Read the full story at Fox News.
DEMOCRATS CAVE: Mike Pompeo CONFIRMED as Secretary of State
President Trump’s nominee to replace Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State was officially confirmed Thursday; following weeks of Democratic opposition against former CIA director Mike Pompeo.
According to Fox News, the Senate voted 57-42 to officially confirm Pompeo as the nation’s top diplomat; with seven Senators who caucus with the Democratic Party bucking leadership and voting in the affirmative.
The Democrats voting “yes” included Senators Heitkamp, Joe Manchin, and Joe Donnelly.
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito swore in Pompeo immediately following the highly-anticipated vote.
Michael Richard Pompeo was just sworn in as the 70th Secretary of State from the West Conference Room at The Supreme Court of the United States by Associate Justice Samuel Anthony Alito, Jr. pic.twitter.com/RH95jrt8vk
— Hogan Gidley 45 Archived (@hogangidley45) April 26, 2018
“He will always put the interests of America first,” the president said in a statement after Pompeo’s confirmation. “He has my trust. He has my support.”
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