Mike Pompeo accused of using Jerusalem as 'political prop' in upcoming RNC speech


Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has drawn heavy criticism for his decision to give a speech Tuesday as part of the Republican National Convention. Pompeo will deliver the address from Jerusalem, where he's visiting in a diplomatic capacity.
Some analysts believe he's violating the Hatch Act by campaigning for President Trump while on a taxpayer-funded foreign trip, or, at the very least, ignoring a State Department memo — one he previously signed off on — which says Senate-confirmed officials should avoid appearing at partisan events. Harvard University's Nicholas Burns, who previously served as a senior U.S. diplomat, said Pompeo should be "focused on restoring America's lost global credibility." And Lauren Baer, a foreign policy adviser in the Obama administration, said the planned speech is "deeply troubling" for the future of U.S. diplomacy.
Other commentators focused on the location, including Ilan Goldenberg, the Middle East security direct at the Center for a New American Security. Goldenberg views Pompeo's speech as an attempt to appeal to the Republican Party's evangelical voting bloc while exploiting the Israel-Palestine conflict. Tim O'Donnell
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.
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.
-
Bangkok: the new 'international capital of fine dining'
The Week Recommends Six Bangkok restaurants rank among the world's best
-
Five of the best luxury watches for women
The Week Recommends From iconic heritage designs to bold contemporary reinventions, these elegant timepieces stole the show at Watches and Wonders 2025
-
Bad news, alpha males. You likely don't actually exist.
Under the radar Most primate communities are egalitarian
-
Trump set to hit Canada with 35% tariffs
Speed Read The president accused Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney of failing to stop the cross-border flow of fentanyl
-
Mahmoud Khalil files $20M claim over ICE detention
Speed Read This is the 'first damages complaint' brought by an individual targeted by the Trump's administration's 'crackdown' on Gaza war protesters
-
Trump threatens Brazil with 50% tariffs
Speed Read He accused Brazil's current president of leading a 'witch hunt' against far-right former leader Jair Bolsonaro
-
AI scammer fakes Rubio messages to top officials
Speed Read The unknown individual mimicked Rubio in voice and text messages sent to multiple government officials
-
SCOTUS greenlights Trump's federal firings
speed read The Trump administration can conduct mass federal firings without Congress' permission, the Supreme Court ruled
-
New tariffs set on 14 trading partners
Speed Read A new slate of tariffs will begin August 1 on imports from Japan, South Korea, Thailand and more
-
Elon Musk launching 'America Party'
Speed Read The tech mogul promised to form a new political party if Trump's megabill passed Congress
-
Judge blocks Trump's asylum ban at US border
Speed Read The president violated federal law by shutting down the US-Mexico border to asylum seekers, said the ruling