FILE PHOTO: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) addresses the North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU) 2019 legislative conference in Washington, U.S., April 9, 2019. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon

BELFAST (Reuters) - U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday declined to comment on whether Congress might launch impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump, saying it was not appropriate to criticize him while abroad.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report on his inquiry into Russia’s role in the 2016 U.S. election provided extensive details on Trump’s efforts to thwart the probe, but Democratic party leaders have played down talk of impeachment just 18 months before the 2020 presidential election.

“Whatever the issue and challenge that we face, the Congress of the United States will honor its oath of office to protect and defend the constitution of the United States, to protect our democracy,” Pelosi told journalists in Belfast when asked about possible impeachment proceedings.

“The legislative branch has a responsibility of oversight of our democracy and we will exercise that,” she said.