Pompeo Defends Trump Foreign Policy Against Democrats’ Assault
Pompeo Defends Trump Foreign Policy Against Democrats’ Assault
(Bloomberg) -- Secretary of State Michael Pompeo defended the Trump administration’s foreign policy record -- from its combative stance toward China to its new decision to withdraw thousands of U.S. troops from Germany -- against scathing criticism from Democrats on a Senate committee.
Appearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for the first time in more than a year, Pompeo contended Thursday that “our vigorous diplomacy has helped lead an international awakening to the threat” posed by China and said that “we are the toughest administration ever on Russia.”
Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey, the panel’s top Democrat, countered that “instead of making ‘America First’ among the nations of the world, you have instead relinquished our leadership to the applause and approval of China and Russia.” He said allies “routinely wonder out loud whether we can be counted on.”
Republican Senator Mitt Romney of Utah, one of his party’s few vocal critics of President Donald Trump, joined in questioning the Pentagon’s announcement on Wednesday that the U.S. will withdraw about 12,000 troops from Germany, bringing more than half back to U.S. bases. Trump said Germany isn’t contributing enough to NATO, and“we don’t want to be the suckers anymore.”
Saying the U.S. is “insulting allies,” Romney asked, “What actions will the administration take to bring our allies together?”
Pompeo said that soldiers based in the U.S. will still be rotated into Germany but it’s “no longer a front-line state.”
Pompeo’s relationship with Democrats on the committee, which oversees the State Department and its budget, has grown increasingly acrimonious.
Members led by Menendez say Pompeo got Trump to fire State Department Inspector General Steve Linick earlier this year to block inquiries that would have embarrassed the top U.S. diplomat, from an examination into the legality of a 2019 arms deal with Saudi Arabia to allegations that Pompeo and his wife used department staff and security agents for personal tasks such as dog-walking and laundry pickup.
Pompeo sought on Thursday to portray the inspector general as an under-performing manager who was failing to conduct needed audits. He also said “a very sensitive IG report was leaked” and it “had a real impact” on U.S. defenses.
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