Pompeo on Mulvaney admission of quid pro quo: ‘I never saw that in the decisionmaking process’ | TheHill – The Hill

Secretary of State Mike PompeoMichael (Mike) Richard PompeoErdoğan got the best of Trump, experts warn Graham: I’m seeking to make Trump successful ‘but not at all costs’ Ex-Watergate prosecutor says evidence in impeachment inquiry ‘clearly’ points to Trump MORE on Sunday responded to acting White House chief of staff Mick MulvaneyJohn (Mick) Michael MulvaneyTrump says his Doral resort will no longer host G-7 after backlash CNN’s Anderson Cooper mocks WH press secretary over Fox News interview Trump accuses media, Democrats of going ‘crazy’ over G-7 at his Miami resort MORE’s admission — which he has since walked back — that the White House made aid to Ukraine conditional on political investigations by saying he “never saw that.”

“I never saw that in the decisionmaking process that I was a part of,” Pompeo said on ABC’s “This Week,” adding, “The conversation was always around, what were the strategic implications? Would that money get to the right place?”

Pompeo repeatedly demurred on “talk[ing] about internal deliberations” at the State Department with host George StephanopoulosGeorge Robert StephanopoulosKudlow: ‘I don’t honestly know’ if Trump was joking about China investigating Bidens The Hill’s Morning Report – Trump’s impeachment woes mount Jordan refuses to say whether Trump asking China for investigation was appropriate MORE and said he would not discuss a “hypothetical” about the appropriateness of conditioning foreign aid on political investigations, despite the host noting that Mulvaney said it had, in fact, occurred.

“I will leave it to the chief of staff to explain what it is he said,” Pompeo said. “I’m telling you what I was involved with. I’m telling you what I saw.”

Stephanopoulos pressed Pompeo on whether it would be appropriate for the White House to make aid conditional on political investigations.

“I’m not going to get into hypotheticals and secondary things based on what someone else has said,” Pompeo said, prompting Stephanopoulos to respond, “Well, except it’s not a hypothetical. We saw the chief of staff, the acting chief of staff right there.”

“You just said, ‘If this happened.’ That is, by definition, a hypothetical,” Pompeo countered.

JUST IN: “I’m not going to get into hypotheticals,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says when asked if it’s appropriate to condition Ukraine aid on political investigation after Mick Mulvaney’s comments.@GStephanopoulos: “Except it’s not a hypothetical” https://t.co/vwL0GRcvq3 pic.twitter.com/VBBTvIVhAk

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) October 20, 2019

Mulvaney said in a press conference last week that Ukrainian aid was delayed while the White House sought an investigation into the 2016 election.

There is “going to be political influence in foreign policy,” he said. “Get over it.”

Mulvaney has since walked back the comment, saying, “There was absolutely no quid pro quo between Ukrainian military aid and any investigation into the 2016 election.”

Pompeo also defended the involvement of President TrumpDonald John TrumpPelosi arrives in Jordan with bipartisan congressional delegation Trump says his Doral resort will no longer host G-7 after backlash CNN’s Anderson Cooper mocks WH press secretary over Fox News interview MORE’s personal attorney Rudy GiulianiRudy GiulianiGiuliani asked State Dept. to grant visa for ex-Ukraine official at center of Biden allegations: report Overnight Energy: Trump taps deputy energy secretary to replace Perry | Praises pick Dan Brouillette as ‘total professional’ | Perry denies quid pro quo over Ukraine Ex-Watergate prosecutor says evidence in impeachment inquiry ‘clearly’ points to Trump MORE in Ukraine diplomacy, telling Stephanopoulos that “private citizens often are part of executing American foreign policy” and again refusing to discuss “internal deliberations” when asked whether the State Department reviewed Giuliani’s possible conflicts of interest in Ukraine.

Pompeo also pushed back on criticism that he failed to defend former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch.

“We’ve done great things for these officers,” he said. “I see these stories about morale being low. I see things precisely the opposite. … I will always defend them when it’s appropriate.”