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Pompeo was present during Trump's Ukraine call: Reports

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo listens as President Trump holds a press conference on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, New York, Sept. 25. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was in on President Tump's phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart that led to the whistleblower complaint and ensuing formal impeachment inquiry, the Wall Street Journal first reported Monday. CNN and NBC also report that Pompeo was on the call.

Why it matters: It was not previously reported that Pompeo was present during the call. The reports come as 3 House committees have subpoenaed Pompeo for documents related to investigations on whether Trump jeopardized national security by pressuring Ukraine's president to investigate Biden during the July 25 call.

  • Per NBC, "Pompeo dodged questions about the phone call and the complaint during an interview with ABC's 'This Week' on Sept. 22, days before the White House released a summary of the call that showed Trump asking about the Bidens' dealings in Ukraine."
  • CNN notes that Pompeo said last week he had yet to read the full whistleblower complaint.

The big picture: Pompeo, who departed Monday for a 6-day European trip to Italy, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Greece, has yet to publicly comment on the reports.

Go deeper: Hillary Clinton gives her take on Pompeo Ukraine report to Colbert

Go deeper

Jonathan Swan
3 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Scoop: Gina Haspel threatened to resign over plan to install Kash Patel as CIA deputy

CIA Director Gina Haspel. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

CIA Director Gina Haspel threatened to resign in early December after President Trump cooked up a hasty plan to install loyalist Kash Patel, a former aide to Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), as her deputy, according to three senior administration officials with direct knowledge of the matter.

Why it matters: The revelation stunned national security officials and almost blew up the leadership of the world's most powerful spy agency. Only a series of coincidences — and last minute interventions from Vice President Mike Pence and White House counsel Pat Cipollone — stopped it.

Go deeper (3 min. read)Arrow
Axios
Updated 4 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Health: Coronavirus deaths reach 4,000 per day as hospitals remain in crisis mode — CDC warns highly transmissible coronavirus variant could become dominant in U.S. in March.
  2. Politics: Biden says, "We will manage the hell out of" vaccine distribution — Biden taps ex-FDA chief to lead Operation Warp Speed amid rollout of COVID plan — Widow of GOP congressman-elect who died of COVID-19 will run to fill his seat.
  3. Vaccine: Battling Black mistrust of the vaccines — "Pharmacy deserts" could become vaccine deserts — Instacart to give $25 to shoppers who get vaccine.
  4. Economy: Unemployment filings explode again — Fed chair: No interest rate hike coming any time soon —  Inflation rose more than expected in December.
  5. World: WHO team arrives in China to investigate pandemic origins.
Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Lachlan Markay
5 hours ago - Politics & Policy

John Weaver, Lincoln Project co-founder, acknowledges “inappropriate” messages

John Weaver aboard John McCain's campaign plane in February 2000. Photo: Robert Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images)

John Weaver, a veteran Republican operative who co-founded the Lincoln Project, declared in a statement to Axios on Friday that he sent “inappropriate,” sexually charged messages to multiple men.

  • “To the men I made uncomfortable through my messages that I viewed as consensual mutual conversations at the time: I am truly sorry. They were inappropriate and it was because of my failings that this discomfort was brought on you,” Weaver said.
  • “The truth is that I'm gay,” he added. “And that I have a wife and two kids who I love. My inability to reconcile those two truths has led to this agonizing place.”
Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow