Chris Wallace Grills Mike Pompeo: "Is Accepting Oppo Research From A Foreign Government Right Or Wrong?"

"Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about the president's comments this week that he would accept opposition research on a political adversary from foreign governments:





CHRIS WALLACE, FOX NEWS: Finally, the president created quite a controversy this week when he said that he seemed to invite opposition research on his political rivals in the 2020 campaign from foreign governments. Here's what he had to say.

TRUMP: Somebody comes up and says, hey, I have information on your opponent, you call the FBI? I don’t think -- I tell you what?



GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ABC NEWS ANCHOR: If it’s coming from Russia, you do.



TRUMP: I’ve seen a lot of things over my list, I don't think my whole life I’ve ever called the FBI. In my whole life. You don't call the FBI. Life doesn’t work that way.



STEPHANOPOULOS: The FBI director says that's what should happen.



TRUMP: The FBI director is wrong.



WALLACE: Is accepting oppo research from a foreign government right or wrong?



POMPEO: Chris, you asked me not to call any of your questions today ridiculous. You can really close right there.



President Trump has been very clear. He clarified his remarks later. He made it very clear, even in his first comments, he said I’d do both. He said he’d call the FBI.



WALLACE: He said maybe I’d do both. He said maybe I’d do both.



POMPEO: President Trump has been very clear that he will always make sure that he gets it right for the American people and I’m confident he’ll do that here as well.



WALLACE: Well, at the risk of getting your ire, the president told "FOX and Friends" on Friday, and I agree, he kind of walked it back --



POMPEO: No, he didn't walk it back Chris.



WALLACE: Yes, he did, because he said maybe on Thursday and then on Friday on "FOX & Friends", he said he’d listen first, and then, if the information was bad, that he would take it to the FBI or the attorney general. But he also made it clear to George Stephanopoulos that he did not see this as foreign interference.



I want to play a clip of the president's own words.



TRUMP: I think you might want to listen. I don’t -- there's nothing wrong with listening. If somebody called from a country, Norway, we have information on your opponent, oh, I think I’d want to hear it.



STEPHANOPOULOS: You want that kind of interference in our elections?



TRUMP: It's not an interference. They have information. I think I’d take it.



WALLACE: He says it's not interference, its information. The country, sir, and I don't have to tell you, has a long history dating back to George Washington in saying that foreign interference in our elections is unacceptable.



POMPEO: Chris, President Trump leaves that too. I have nothing further to add. I came on to talk about foreign policy and I think the third time you've asked me about a Washington piece of silliness, that chased down the story that is inconsistent with what I’ve seen President Trump do every single day.



WALLACE: I will leave it there. I think I only asked you twice, but that's all right.

Watch Pompeo's full interview on "FOX News Sunday":