Judiciary panel's first hearing

'Unfortunate': Pompeo slams Dems for impeachment hearing during Trump's overseas trip

The House Judiciary panel's first hearing will coincide with the president's meeting with NATO leaders.

By QUINT FORGEY

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday criticized House Democrats for scheduling an impeachment hearing this week as President Donald Trump travels abroad, echoing a recent line of attack by the White House’s top lawyer against the rapidly escalating inquiry.

Pompeo told the hosts of “Fox & Friends” there exists a “long tradition that we support presidents when they travel overseas to do their work,” admonishing Democratic lawmakers’ decision “to hold hearings back here in Washington to distract America's president from his important mission” in the United Kingdom.

Trump is set to embark Monday morning for London to attend this year’s meeting of NATO leaders on Tuesday and Wednesday. Meanwhile, the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday will undertake its first impeachment hearing since the conclusion of the probe’s public testimony before the House Intelligence Committee last month.

The White House informed the Judiciary panel Sunday that it would not participate in the hearing, arguing that “an invitation to an academic discussion with law professors does not begin to provide the president with any semblance of a fair process.”

In his five-page letter to Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler, White House counsel Pat Cipollone charged that the New York Democrat “scheduled this initial hearing — no doubt purposely — during the time that you know the President will be out of the country” attending the NATO summit.

Pompeo also blasted the timetable as “very unfortunate” on Monday.

“I mean, these are some of our most important allies and partners in keeping the American people safe and secure,” he said. “I regret that they've chosen to hold these hearings at the same time that the president and our entire national security team will be traveling to Europe, to London, to work on these important matters.”