DNC Blasts Mike Pompeo For Praising Putin Ahead of Visit to Iowa

As Mike Pompeo heads to Iowa today to speak on foreign policy at a fundraiser for the Republican Party of Iowa, DNC spokesperson Ryan Thomas released the following statement:

“Mike Pompeo should be ashamed of himself for spending four years enabling Donald Trump as he appeased Vladimir Putin, who has now started an unprovoked war that is raising costs on Americans. No one should listen to the same man whose praise has been featured on Russian state TV and excused Putin’s behavior for years. While Pompeo stood shoulder to shoulder with Trump as he undermined Ukraine and elevated a murderous dictator, President Biden has rallied our allies to slap unprecedented sanctions on Putin and Russia and remind the world America stands with democracy.”

Pompeo openly praised Putin as “savvy” and “talented” after he launched his war and repeatedly used his podium at the State Department to spread Russian misinformation:

MSNBC: “It’s not just Trump: Mike Pompeo also offered praise for Putin”

Kansas City Star: “Mike Pompeo has lauded the Russian strongman over the past month as a ‘talented,’ ‘savvy,’ ‘capable statesman,’ offering his praise during a slew of interviews after his political action committee spent $30,000 on improving his performance in media appearances.”

Newsweek: “Trump’s former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has also repeatedly praised Putin in the runup to the invasion. His praise has even been rebroadcast on Russian television.”

The Washington Post: “But there is no indication that Pompeo objected when Trump withheld all of the assistance while Trump’s personal attorney Rudolph W. Giuliani — and the president himself — pressed the government of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son.”

The New York Times: “Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has for months deflected questions about whether the Trump administration demanded political favors from Ukraine in exchange for military aid. He has refused to explain why he recalled the American ambassador, declared that it was ‘inappropriate’ for his diplomats to testify before Congress and declined to hand over documents to impeachment investigators.”

The Daily Beast’s Julia Davis: “#Russia’s state TV is proudly showing off Mike Pompeo’s recent commentary, where he said about Putin: ‘Very shrewd. Very capable. I have enormous respect for him.’”

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