Mike Pompeo Dismisses Concerns Over Trump Balloon Reports, Accuses Biden of Causing ‘Global Shame’ Over Balloon Handling

AP Photo/John Locher

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused President Joe Biden of causing “global shame” with his handling of the suspected Chinese surveillance balloon.

Speaking to The Hill this week in an exclusive interview, Pompeo also dismissed criticism of former President Donald Trump over reports suspected surveillance balloons also entered U.S. airspace while he was in office.

Asked about National Security Council’s John Kirby saying at a press conference that Trump’s administration failed to detect similar balloons, Pompeo said the argument is a shiny distraction.

“You’re bringing it up too, and this is exactly what the Biden administration wants you talking about: ‘Look over here. See this shiny object. Trump, Trump, Trump.’ Right? This wasn’t remotely the same thing,” Pompeo said.

The former secretary of state argued “no one was aware” of the incidents under Trump, and the delay to take down the a surveillance balloon first spotted over Montana was inexcusable.

“I can’t imagine that the risk of some falling debris over a place like Montana exceeded the risk of global shame,” Pompeo said.

That balloon was shot down days after Biden ordered it, officials explaining potential risk of debris made them wait until the balloon could be shot down over water. Multiple other “objects” have been shot down in U.S. airspace in the last couple weeks, but those objects were described as different from the balloon that kicked off the current frenzy.

Pompeo said he fears what information the Chinese balloon could have gathered before it was taken down.

“The whole world saw a slow-moving balloon transiting Montana, Kansas, South Carolina — and the United States of America did nothing,” he said.