Pompeo is raising eyebrows for becoming the spokesperson of the Soleimani strike
Assuming you're paying attention to the situation concerning Iran and the United States, you've probably seen a lot of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo these last few days.
He held a press conference Tuesday and did the media rounds Sunday, appearing on several news shows to discuss President Trump's decision to kill Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani in an airstrike in Iraq. But some people are wondering where Secretary of Defense Mark Esper is in all this, considering the possibility of war drums beginning to bang has grown.
Indeed, Politico reports Pompeo's role as the spokesperson for the Soleimani strike has raised some eyebrows at the Pentagon. "The worry at the Pentagon is that [Esper] defers to Pompeo," Mark Perry, author of The Pentagon's Wars: The Military's Undeclared War Against American Presidents, told Politico.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Others in Washington's foreign policy establishment reportedly think Pompeo may even be auditioning to take over as Defense Secretary. But those in Esper's camp dismissed the concerns, noting that Esper is purposefully trying to remain behind-the-scenes and out of politics just like the Defense Department is supposed to do. Making media appearances, one Trump administration official said, is "the exact opposite" of what the Defense Department does. In turn, Pompeo, who is also closer to Trump, has become the front man.
"Isn't this more of a restoration of the way the system is supposed to work?" one former Pentagon official said, referring to Pompeo — the nation's top diplomat — remaining visible and vocal on international relations issues. Read more at Politico.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published