Richard Grenell on Monday hit out at former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for criticizing Pennsylvania Senate candidate Mehmet Oz over his Turkish citizenship.
Pompeo, during a press briefing last week, accused Oz of having connections to the Turkish government after ABC News reported that Oz voted in Turkey's 2018 election.
"Maybe it's all innocent, maybe it's all straight up, but we and the people of Pennsylvania and the Americans who he will be representing as one of the 100 members of the United States Senate voting on important national security matters need to understand the scope and depth of his relationship with the Turkish government," Pompeo said.
Grenell, the former acting director of national intelligence, said in a tweet on Monday that Pompeo's comments were "un-American."
He said: "It's frankly un-American to suggest that 1st and 2nd generation Americans are unworthy or suspect to work as U.S. Officials."
Grenell added, "Many have seen fascism and totalitarianism up close. They are the canaries in the coal mine warning Americans that socialism is dangerous."
Oz previously said that he kept his Turkish citizenship in order to take care of his "ailing mother," and has vowed to renounce it if elected.
"My dual citizenship has become a distraction in this campaign," Oz said in a statement. "I maintained it to care for my ailing mother, but after several weeks of discussions with my family, I'm committing that before I am sworn as the next U.S. senator for Pennsylvania I will only be a U.S. citizen."
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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