Mike Pompeo's 'flat' RNC speech mostly overshadowed by preceding controversy

(Image credit: Committee on Arrangements for the 2020 Republican National Committee via Getty Images)

last updated 26 August 2020

After all the controversy that preceded it, critics were mostly underwhelmed by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's pre-taped speech that aired Tuesday night during the Republican National Convention.

Pompeo didn't stray off path while delivering his remarks and simply touted what he considers to be President Trump's foreign policy highlights, including the recent U.S.-brokered agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Trump's response to China's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, and the strengthening of NATO. The content, combined with Pompeo's delivery, had viewers yawning.

The speech was the talk of the town the last few days, since State Department policy urges officials to refrain from participating in political events, and a Secretary of State campaigning for the president during a party convention is believed to be unprecedented. The fact that it was taped while Pompeo was on an official diplomatic trip to Israel was especially troublesome in the eyes of diplomats and lawmakers.

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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.

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