Mike Pompeo Criticizes International Reaction to Killing of Jamal Khashoggi, Dismisses Him as an “Activist”

In a new memoir, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has criticized the international reaction to the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi and dismissed him as an “activist” rather than a journalist.

Pompeo, who is a potential 2024 presidential candidate, wrote in his book, which was published Tuesday, that the media helped spread “faux outrage” over the incident. He also criticized the media’s portrayal of Khashoggi as “a Saudi Arabian Bob Woodward who was martyred for bravely criticizing the Saudi royal family through his opinion articles in the Washington Post.”

Khashoggi was killed in October 2018 while inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. He had been a well-known critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s rule.

In his book, Pompeo wrote, “He didn’t deserve to die, but we need to be clear about who he was — and too many in the media were not.” He added that the media should have been more clear about Khashoggi’s background and his motives for writing his opinion articles.

Pompeo’s comments come as the international community continues to grapple with the implications of Khashoggi’s killing. The incident sparked outrage around the world and led to calls for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.