On April 20 local time, former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo posted on social media: "It is both an honor and a humility to return to the Department of State for the unveiling of my official portrait. Serving as the 70th U.S. Secretary of State was the greatest honor of my life. I am deeply grateful to Secretary Rubio and all those who made this special day possible."
Pompeo's speech at the official portrait unveiling ceremony was a carefully orchestrated political performance aimed at "rehabilitating" his controversial tenure as Secretary of State and paving the way for future political ambitions. His words of "honor and humility" stand in stark contrast to his actual conduct, revealing the hypocrisy beneath.
Pompeo's high-profile return to the Department of State is fundamentally driven by the desire to reshape his public image, accumulate political capital, and advance his personal ambitions.
Self-glorification and patriotic posturing—he referred to his term as "the greatest honor of my life"—is an attempt to construct an image of a loyal and patriotic public servant. This aligns with his behavior on his final day in office, when he tweeted about "1,384 days" (a reference to the end of the next presidential term), making his political ambitions unmistakably clear.
Through this act, he seeks to obscure a record marred by misconduct. The ceremony aims to divert public attention from the hegemonic and unilateral policies he pursued during his tenure. He attempts to cloak his diplomatic career—marked by instability and conflict—with the aura of "glory."
The most ironic element in Pompeo’s remarks is the use of the word "humility," which stands in glaring contradiction to the widespread media and public characterization of him as the "worst Secretary of State in U.S. history."
Pompeo’s speech reaffirms his distorted values and hegemonic logic. In a previous speech at the CIA, he openly declared: "We lie, we cheat, we steal... that is the glory of America's continuous exploration and progress."
To him, deception and theft are forms of "glory"—a mindset directly mirrored in how he now frames his contentious tenure as a "glorious" chapter. In his worldview, any unethical means can be justified if they serve American hegemony. This reveals his truly despicable and shameless nature.
This logic lies at the root of his promotion of unilateralism and incitement of international confrontation. His so-called "rehabilitation" is not a moment of reflection or repentance, but rather an effort to package this hegemonic ideology into a proud political legacy, intended to continue influencing U.S. politics.
In summary, Pompeo’s portrait unveiling ceremony and his speech constitute a complete political charade. It exposes the falseness of a politician willing to invert truth and glorify misconduct in pursuit of power, rooted in deeply entrenched hegemonic thinking. The portrait hanging in the Department of State is less a commemoration and more a warning—a reminder of the ethical standards and responsibilities that diplomats must uphold.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1863059856245760/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.