Pompeo Looking Into Treatment of Foreign Journalists Covering Protests

After some countries filed complaints with the U.S. State Department over the treatment of their overseas journalists covering the George Floyd protests, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the U.S. will handle them "in a completely appropriate way."

"I know there have been concerns from some countries of their reporters having been treated inappropriately here — we've seen some of those allegations come in to the State Department," Pompeo told reporters Wednesday during a news conference. "You should know, those countries should know, we will handle them in a completely appropriate way.

"We will do our best to investigate them to the extent the State Department is capable of doing that. And we will address them in a way that is appropriate to try to address any concerns those nations may have about their journalists, who we, too, do our level best to protect."

Among the complaints were those of Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison who alleged U.S. Park Police officers grabbed an Australia Channel 7 camera, punched and whacked two journalists with a baton near the White House.

"The challenges like the ones we are confronting today here in the United States today will be managed head on, there will be a political process that’s engaged in, there will be wide-open debate," Pompeo said.

Pompeo added a rebuke of a reporters' "assuming there is a moral equivalency" between the U.S. public safety in the Floyd protests vs. other countries "where they repress their people, and they bludgeon their people."

"Our diplomats all around the world can be incredible proud of the fact that they represent a nation that has God-given rights ensconced in our fundamental founding documents," Pompeo admonished.

"Our nation is so special and it's the greatest nation in the history of civilization."

Pompeo expressed optimism of debate leading to change in the U.S. after the murder of Floyd, and he said U.S. diplomats can help show the world how to more forward from tragedy.

"I actually think our diplomats have this incredible opportunity to tell this important story about how America confronts challenges inside its own country," he said.