It’s not often that I take a politician or government official’s words too seriously, as it’s typically empty rhetoric whose sole purpose is to denigrate their political opponents. But, I’ve got to say, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo deserves a standing ovation for what he said at the American University in Cairo, Egypt on Thursday.
Pompeo was in Cairo as part of a tour of the Middle East where he’s looking to “coordinate an anti-Iran strategy,” according to Fox News.
What drew my admiration was how candid Pompeo was on the failed Middle East policies of former president Barack Obama.
“It was here, here in this city [Cairo], that another American stood before you,” Pompeo said. “He [Obama] told you that radical Islamist terrorism doesn’t stem from an ideology. He [Obama] told you that 9/11 led my country to abandon its ideals, particularly in the Middle East.
Pompeo was not shy in placing blame on Obama for his mishandling of multiple situations in the Middle East.
“He told you that the United States and the Muslim world needed ‘a new beginning,” Pompeo continued. “The results of these misjudgments have been dire.”
Possibly the best line Pompeo said, all with conviction by the way, was a veiled shot at the “lead from behind” mentality Obama employed during his time in office.
“The age of self-inflicted American shame is over,” Pompeo forcefully said. “and so are the policies that produce so much needless suffering.”
Boom! Sorry, Obama — including former First Lady Michelle Obama. But, there was nothing wrong with loving the U.S. before 2008. I’m just glad that there’s others in Washington now that think the same.
For Pompeo’s full comments, watch below:
H/T: Fox News