Speaking with radio host Hugh Hewitt, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made it abundantly clear exactly which side of the Israel-Iran conflict the Trump administration stood and how the Obama administration had clearly sided with Iran, asserting, “The previous administration guaranteed Iran a path to nuclear weapons systems, allowed them to foment terror, and allowed their missile system to run amok. President Trump has directed that we do just the opposite — to deny them the resources to create risks not only for the United States and its citizens, but for Israel as well.”
Pompeo added, “Each time Israel has been forced to take actions to defend itself, the United States has made it very clear that that country has not only the right, but the duty to protect its own people. And we are always supportive of their efforts to do that. And with respect to ensuring that Israel is treated fairly at the United Nations, Israel can certainly count on the United States of America.”
When Hewitt asked whether the Trump administration would help resupply Israel with ammunition if needed, Pompeo answered, “We’re constantly in conversations about that, making sure that we collectively have defense systems capabilities that are appropriate for their needs. I have every confidence this president who moved our embassy and who made clear Israel’s rights in the Golan Heights will do all that is necessary to ensure that our great partner in Israel will be protected.”
Pompeo also addressed China, saying:
For a couple of decades, we allowed China to run roughshod over American interests, as did Europe allow China to run roughshod over their interests as well. President Trump has made clear that’s not going to be the case anymore. It’s most prominent that as you see it in the trade issues where we’re trying to simply get fair and reciprocal trade between the United States and China, but I think you also see it in all the other components of the challenge that China presents, whether it’s pushing back as we’ve done here at the State Department on the risk presented by Chinese telecommunications infrastructure, Huawei and others, the work that we’ve done to convince our partners around the world that allowing China to make investments in their countries that will ultimately make them vassal states of China, along every dimension — political, diplomatic, and security, we’re pushing back to make sure that the American people are protected against the challenges that China presents to us.
Pompeo continued, “We want them to stop stealing our stuff, to stop forcing our companies to transfer technology if they just simply want to do business and serve the Chinese market. We want our trade barriers gone. We want zero tariffs, zero non-tariff barriers. We want a fair trading relationship. China is no longer appropriately a developing country inside of the WTO.”
When Hewitt asked about a speech Pompeo had made to the American Legion in Indiana in which Pompeo stressed Americanism, Pompeo stated:
You know, I went there to talk about Americanism. It’s a word that the American Legion has in its founding documents. And I wanted to talk about the centrality of our founders in these core principles that have served America so well for 200-plus years now. And we have to get it right. We can’t be looking to other ideas. The central premise of our country is this greatness that is our Constitution and formed by the Declaration of Independence, and that Americanism is a force for good around the world as I tell my team here at the State Department every time I get a chance.
This is a very special, a very exceptional nation. And I wanted to remind those great patriots who had served or who had family members who had served in the United States armed forces that we value what they did, and that their continued need to serve, and talk about the greatness of America, is very important.