Pokémon Go News: Norwegian Politician Trine Skei Grande Busted, Then Criticized For Playing During Defense Meeting

Norwegian Trine Skei Grande is all of us. No, not in terms of politics — in terms of Pokemon.

Grande, who has served as the leader of Norway's Liberal Party since 2010, got busted Wednesday playing the popular free app Pokémon Go while sitting in a meeting on national security and defense plans, EuroNews reported.

"Some of us have heads that listen better when we can do something brain-dead on the side," Grande told VG in defending her gameplay, which included tapping a Pokéstop to get resources. She added that "more sensational things came up during the hearing than this."

It's not an official violation of parliament rules, according to ABC Nyheter, but some of Grande's opponents didn't think training during work hours was the very best. Øyvind Halleraker, the first deputy chairman of the foreign affairs and defense committee, told VG he expected that Grande was listening while playing. Halvar Rønneberg, of the Progress Party, called her out in more blunt terms.

"It is simply disrespectful to sit and play Pokémon during such a serious matter," Rønneberg told NRK. "It is pointless and disrespectful to voters and those who are in Parliament today to present an important message."

Pokémon Go, which launched in July and at one point had 45 million users, has enamored much of the world, and politicians are no exception.

Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg told Aftenposten earlier this month that she was level 14 in the game. While she was in Slovakia for meetings, she took breaks to walk around in hopes of hatching some of her in-app eggs, which reveal new monsters after players have traveled certain distances.

Israel's president, Reuven Rivlin, posted a Facebook photo of Meowth in his office in July. In the United States, both presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have made references to the game.