Published 07:15 IST, May 19th 2020
Trump says it's 'OK' for Pompeo to have govt staff wash dishes if his wife isn't there
Trump responds after being asked about firing an inspector general for investigating Pompeo for allegedly making a taxpayer-funded staffer run personal errands
Responding to an allegation of a government employee working as a housemaid for the US Secretary of the state Mike Pompeo, United States President Donald Trump on Monday said that he would rather have government employees to wash the dishes for Mike Pompeo and have him on the phone with other world leaders than doing the dishes himself because his wife or son isn't there.
This comes after Trump was asked about firing an inspector general for investigating Pompeo for allegedly making a taxpayer-funded staffer run personal errands for him.
"Look, he's a high-quality person, Mike. He's a very high quality, he's a very brilliant guy," Trump told reporters at the White House.
"And now I have you telling me about dog walking, washing dishes and, you know what, I'd rather have him on the phone with some world leader than have him wash dishes because maybe his wife isn't there or his kids aren't there," Trump said.
"Here's a man that is supposed to be negotiating war and peace with major, major countries with weaponry like the world has never seen before," And the Democrats and the fake news media, they are interested in a man who is walking their dog, he said.
"Maybe he's busy. Maybe he's negotiating with Kim Jong Un, about nuclear weapons," he added.
Trump fired the State Department's inspector general, Steve Linick, on Friday and replaced him with an ally of Vice President Mike Pence.
Updated 07:15 IST, May 19th 2020