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In one of the more heated moments, Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) confronted Pompeo, asking him if he believes “the coronavirus is a hoax.” He pointed to White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney’s comments earlier in the day claiming news media were ignoring the coronavirus until now because outlets were too focused on President Trump’s impeachment before that, which he called a “hoax.”
“Donald Trump’s chief of staff Mick Mulvaney told the Conservative Political Action Conference [CPAC] that the coronavirus was the hoax of the day,” Lieu said. “Do you agree with Donald Trump’s chief of staff Mulvaney that the coronavirus is the hoax of the day?”
“The State Department is doing everything it can to protect American citizens around the world,” Pompeo began replying before Lieu interrupted.
“Do you believe coronavirus is a hoax?” Lieu said.
“I’m not going to comment on what others are saying,” Pompeo replied. “I’m just telling you what the secretary of State is doing.”
“It’s not even a gotcha question,” Lieu continued. “Do you believe the coronavirus is a hoax?”
“It is a gotcha moment,” Pompeo said. “It’s not useful.”
Asked again, Pompeo said: “We’re taking it seriously.”
#WATCH: Rep. Ted Lieu: "It's not even a gotcha question. Do you believe the corona virus is a hoax?"
Sec of State Mike Pompeo: "It is a gotcha moment. It's not useful."pic.twitter.com/3Fk9e7sqS3
— Jennifer Franco (@jennfranconews) February 28, 2020
Lieu went on to call it “shameful” that Pompeo wouldn’t say coronavirus is not a hoax, while scolding Pompeo for attending CPAC later in the day.
After the hearing, he shared the exchange on Twitter, accusing Pompeo of “being too scared to even say [the coronavirus] is not a hoax.”
The problem with @SecPompeo being too scared to even say #coronavirusus is not a hoax is not just that he lacks a spine, it also compounds the misinformation coming from the @realDonaldTrump Administration on an issue of life and death.#FridayThoughts https://t.co/SKVIm74HX5
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) February 28, 2020
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WATCH: Rep. Ted Lieu gets in heated exchange with Pompeo at hearing: "Do you believe coronavirus is a hoax?" https://t.co/2Mwo8YZ0bc pic.twitter.com/OKzgmKKmmR
— The Hill (@thehill) February 28, 2020
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo: "I was going to pass out copies tonight but I heard Nance the Ripper's still on the loose." #CPAC #CPAC2020 pic.twitter.com/NyjkBFpdFw
— The Hill (@thehill) February 29, 2020
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