Donald Trump wants to keep his business or political partners happy, he sometimes sends the first daughter Ivanka Trump to spend time with them. Who knew that Ivanka would want to visit Wichita, Kansas, but visit she did — with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
The secretary was a Kansas representative prior to joining the Trump administration. The GOP has put some pressure on him to run for Senator Pat Roberts’, 83, seat. The senator decided to take early retirement. Pompeo declined, because he apparently has higher political ambitions. Still, he returned to the homeland every quarter this year. Although, he may regret the pounding his home state reporters gave him.
In an interview with McClatchy’s The Wichita Eagle and The Kansas City Star. The Eagle asked him:
‘[W]hat good really is the word of the U.S. in light of the president’s treatment of the Kurds? Has that undercut U.S. credibility?’
Pompeo took issue with the question. He responded, calling the question “insane:”
‘The whole predicate of your question is insane. The word the United States– I’ll give you a good example– the word of the United States is much more respected today than it was just two and a half years ago.’
Then, it was back to Trump’s talking point, blaming President Barack Obama, claiming he called the Kurds “Boy:”
‘The previous administration in Syria, where you asked the question earlier, the previous administration said, “Boy, if you use chemical weapons that’s going to be bad,” and the president drew a red line, President Obama drew a red line. He then duly ignored it. This president said, “If you use chemical weapons, I’m going to take action.”‘
Recent videos have escaped of children wracked with pain after the Turks burned them with the chemical white phosphorous. Pompeo continued, noting “there would be a cost imposed [for chemical weapons:]”
‘And we fired Tomahawk missiles in to take down that threat to let them know that the cost of violating this, this massive violation of human dignity, these massive human rights violations by using chemical weapons, that there would be a cost imposed for that. And when the President said he would do it. He did.’
It may be true that America was respected across the world, but that was before Trump abandoned the Kurds to the Turk’s most vicious fighters:
‘I see that all across the world, we make clear the things that we will do. We also make clear the things that we’re not prepared to do. I think it’s important for people to understand that other countries have to step up too. Other countries must share the burden for not just the security of the world, but security for their own countries.’
Then, the secretary wrapped up with a tribute to his boss, saying he had “high expectations:”
‘So this president’s been very clear that we have high expectations for how other countries, not just our European partners, but countries in Africa, countries in the Middle East, countries throughout Asia, who depend on the Strait of Hormuz to be up, they need to, they need to do that for themselves as well. And when they do, America will continue to be an enormous partner. I get a chance to travel the world.’
Last, Pompeo said people around the world know he can “work alongside them:”
‘And when I show up, people want to meet the American secretary of state. They don’t want to meet Mike [the individual.] They want to meet the American secretary of state who they know can work alongside them to deliver security for their people in an important way.’
Why was Ivanka traveling with him to the heart of America? Just a coincidence.
Featured image is a screenshot via YouTube.
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