Mike Pompeo, Trump’s nominee for secretary of state, shut down questions about the Russia investigation during his confirmation hearing on Thursday.
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Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat from New Hampshire, asked Pompeo if he agrees with the president’s assertion that Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian collusion is a “witch hunt.”
“Ma’am, I’m going to not speak about any of the three investigations that I have been a participant in today,” Pompeo said.
“Recognizing your legal background, does the president have the authority to fire special counsel Mueller on his own?” Shaheen pressed.
“Senator, I’m in no position to make a comment on that legal question,” Pompeo said, holding steady.
Shaheen again asked about the Mueller probe by asking what would happen if Trump fired deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein, and Pompeo firmly let her know he wasn’t interested in discussing the investigation.
“Ma’am, I came here today to talk about my qualifications to be the secretary of state,” he asserted. “I’m not going to weigh into the active investigations that are going on in the House and Senate and the special counsel’s investigation.”