DONALD Trump has said Mike Pompeo may have got staff to walk his dog as “maybe his wife wasn’t there” as he defended sacking the State Department inspector general.
Talking to reporters at the White House on Monday, the president backed Pompeo’s actions and said he would “rather have him on the phone with some world leader than have him wash dishes.”
Trump said: “He’s a high quality person, Mike. He’s a very brilliant guy.
“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…
“What are you telling me it’s terrible? It’s so stupid. You know how stupid that sounds to the world? Unbelievable.”
The president also confirmed that it was Pompeo’s idea to fire watchdog Steve Linick.
Linick was ousted on Friday night after Trump sent a letter to Congress about the appointee from the Barack Obama administration.
“He asked me if that would be possible, I said I’ll do that – sure,” Trump said.
Earlier on Monday, a Democratic aide told CNN that Linick had been investigating Pompeo’s alleged misuse of a political appointee to perform personal tasks for himself and his wife, Susan.
The president was confronted about the allegations during his press conference.
“They’re bothered because he’s having somebody walk his dog as you’re telling me?
“I didn’t know that. I didn’t hear that. I didn’t know about an investigation. But this is what you get with the Democrats.
“Here’s a man supposed to be negotiating war and peace with major countries.
“And maybe he’s busy, and maybe he’s negotiating with Kim Jong-un, okay, about nuclear weapons. “So he says please can you walk my dog. You mind walking my dog – I’m talking to Kim Jong-un?
When ousting the watchdog, Trump said he no longer had full confidence in Linick, who held the office since 2013, and his job loss would take effect in 30 days.
He wrote: “It is vital that I have the fullest confidence in the appointees serving as Inspectors General.
“That is no longer the case with regard to this Inspector General.”
