U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned western leaders at a security conference in Munich, Germany, that they had better stop doubting American leadership. Pompeo went so far as to read recent quotes from unnamed leaders, including a particularity derogatory one from 2017. “The fact that our friend and ally has come to question the very worth of its mantle of global leadership, puts into sharper focus the need for the rest of us to set our own clear and sovereign course,” Pompeo said, according to prepared remarks published on the State Dept. website. Another one was from last year. “The multilateral order is experiencing its perhaps gravest crisis since the emergence—its emergence after the Second World War,” Pompeo read before scolding the group. “I’ve seen, we’ve all seen, democratic leaders questioning America’s commitment to the trans-Atlantic alliance and America’s leadership in the world,” he said. “I’m here this morning to tell you the facts. Those statements simply do not affect in any significant way or reflect reality. I am happy to report that the death of the trans-Atlantic alliance is grossly over-exaggerated.” He then added, “The West is winning. We are collectively winning. We’re doing it together.”
