Acting DHS Sec. Chad Wolf Says He Didn’t Know WH Naturalization Ceremony Would Air at RNC Convention

Acting United States Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf claimed he had no idea that the naturalization ceremony he and President Donald Trump conducted at the White House would be featured at the 2020 Republican National Convention.

Last week, the convention aired footage of Trump and Wolf at the naturalization ceremony for new Americans. The RNC was criticized by some over the display, having been accused of repeatedly violating the Hatch Act by using federal property and the president’s powers to create blatantly partisan pro-Trump videos.

In a broad-ranging interview on Sunday with ABC’s Jon Karl, Wolf was asked “did you know when you were there for that naturalization ceremony at the White House with the president that it was going to be played that night at the convention?”

Wolf deflected by referring to the DHS’ responsibility to oversee naturalization, adding “I participated in several of them not only with the president, but with the vice president.” As Wolf noted that the ceremony video was publicly available before the RNC airing, Karl returned to his question and asked again if Wolf knew that the RNC would feature it.

“No,” Wolf answered before again defending the DHS’s role in conducting the naturalization process.

Wolf’s admission comes after two of the citizens naturalized at the White House said they were not informed that their ceremony would be used as part of the convention.

Watch above, via ABC.