President Trump’s coronavirus diagnosis poses a critical test for Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the State Department as they seek to project stability and …
President Trump’s coronavirus diagnosis poses a critical test for Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the State Department as they seek to project stability and strength to U.S. allies in final days before the presidential election. Pompeo, who was on travel in Europe when the president announced he and first lady Melania Trump had tested positive for COVID-19, made the decision to carry on his diplomatic trip in Croatia before returning to the U.S. as scheduled. And he has signaled that a trip to Florida on Saturday and a weeklong trip to Asia beginning on Sunday are likely to move forward, while telling reporters that they are making evaluations on an “hour by hour basis.” As fourth in line for the presidency, Pompeo will maintain a close line to Washington on the president’s condition and will be a key voice to the international community on the stability of the U.S. government. “This is when you need that consistent message,” said Kenneth Yalowitz, who served as U.S. ambassador to Belarus and Georgia in the 1990s and early 2000s. “In a situation like this, the White House and the State Department in all likelihood come together, and I think everyone realizes the huge importance of this situation and I can’t conceive of a jumble of messages and a bunch of confusing signs.” But Trump and the White House have rarely projected a clear and consistent message on any issue and the questions surrounding the president’s health is raising fears that adversaries will have an opportunity to exploit the current moment. “We were already in a period, because of the election, that the country’s attention was so focused inward,” said Dan Shapiro, who served as U.S. ambassador to Israel in the Obama administration. “Now you compound that with a president being less than fully healthy, even in some scenarios incapacitated, and you realize that the health of the president’s safety is a national security issue.
