Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s Republican National Convention address from Jerusalem “appalling” on Tuesday.
The House Speaker told MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports” that Pompeo’s convention speech, which was pre-recorded in Israel during official diplomatic travel, violated State Department rules for employees not to participate in partisan activities.
“Now he’s doing just that thing, and then, of course, really sadly, discoloring our bipartisanship in terms of our support for Israel, which has always been bipartisan, and we always want it to be,” she said.
“The image is something that’s going to say, look at us, we’re here in Israel making a speech to the Republican National Convention, violating our values in terms of the bipartisanship and our support for Israel, violating in many ways what he told his own employees,” she added.
Pelosi also took a shot at first lady Melania Trump for holding her convention address at the Rose Garden, calling it “ridiculous.”
Melania Trump and Pompeo are both slated to speak Tuesday, the second night of the Republican convention.
The secretary of State is on a four-country tour this week to further the Trump administration’s advancements in improving relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
Pelosi is not the only person to bash Pompeo for the location of his convention address. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s campaign said the speech is an “abuse of taxpayer dollars” and “undermines the critical work being done by the State Department.”
Critics accuse Pompeo of violating the Hatch Act, which forbids federal officials from participating in partisan events while on duty.
A State Department spokesperson told The Hill on Monday that no department resources would be directed toward Pompeo’s address and no staff have been involved in preparing for the speech.