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| Secretary of State Mike Pompeo removes his protective mask during a bilateral meeting with Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena in Colombo, Sri Lanka October 28, 2020. Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters |
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is departing Friday on a 10-day journey that will take him to seven different countries.
Pompeo has not recognized President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as the winners of the 2020 election as President Donald Trump continues to reject the election results.
The leaders in all of the countries Pompeo is poised to visit have congratulated Biden on his victory in the 2020 election, highlighting the awkward, isolated position the Trump administration is currently in with the president refusing to concede.
Though the president and top Republicans have refused to accept the results of the 2020 election, the world has already begun to move on from the Trump era.
- Pompeo on Friday is heading off to France, Turkey, Georgia, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. He will be traveling from November 13 to November 23.
- "The Americans have chosen their President," French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted on Saturday. "Congratulations Joe Biden and Kamala Harris! We have a lot to do to overcome today's challenges. Let's work together!"
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan extended his congratulations on Tuesday to the president-elect and vice president-elect. Turkey will stick to its "determination to work closely with the U.S. Administration" in the coming period, Erdogan said, per Reuters.
- Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia on Saturday tweeted: "On behalf of the people of [Georgia] congratulations to the President-elect @JoeBiden, a longtime friend of Georgia and Vice-President-elect @KamalaHarris. We look forward to continue further strengthening the US-Georgia Strategic partnership."
- "Congratulations @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a tweet on Sunday. "Joe, we've had a long & warm personal relationship for nearly 40 years, and I know you as a great friend of Israel. I look forward to working with both of you to further strengthen the special alliance between the U.S. and Israel."
- Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the de facto ruler of the UAE, congratulated Biden and Harris in a tweet on Saturday: "Congratulations to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on winning the U.S. elections. Our sincere wishes for further development and prosperity for the American people. The UAE and USA are friends and allies with a strong historic partnership that we look forward to strengthening together."
- "Congratulations to President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris. My best wishes to the people of the United States and I look forward to working together to continue strengthening the friendship between our countries," Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani tweeted on Saturday.
- Saudi Arabia's King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman congratulated Biden and Harris on Sunday, per the Saudi Press Agency.
- Biden on Tuesday also spoke on the phone with Macron, in addition to the leaders of Germany, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.
- Leaders like Netanyahu, Erdogan, and the Saudi crown prince have been among Trump's closest international allies during his tenure. But they have still recognized Biden as the legitimate winner of the 2020 election.
- Trump and his Republican allies have baselessly suggested Biden won due to mass voter fraud. They have presented no evidence to back-up their assertions, and the Trump campaign has filed lawsuits in a number of states with little chance of success.
- Election officials across the US representing both political parties told the New York Times they found no evidence that voter fraud or other irregularities influenced the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.
- Pompeo on Tuesday was heavily criticized online after suggesting there would be a "second Trump administration" despite the result of the election. While some interpreted the comments from the top US diplomat as a joke, Democratic lawmakers and former diplomats excoriated Pompeo.
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