NATIONAL HARBOR, Maryland — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo mocked one of his predecessors for what he described as a lavish lifestyle, including trips to foreign countries funded by American taxpayers.
“You should know that different secretaries kind of roll different. I’m not in it, I’m not in it for the fancy dinners in Paris or Switzerland or Vienna,” Pompeo said during a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Friday.
“One of my predecessors went 62 times,” he added, referencing former Secretary of State John Kerry.
Booing and laughter erupted in the ballroom packed full of thousands of conservative voters and supporters of President Trump.
“That, my friends, is a lot of cocktails,” Pompeo joked.
The secretary also referenced Kerry’s 2016 trip to Antarctica, saying, “I don’t know who he was negotiating with there.”
Kerry, who was secretary of state during President Barack Obama’s second term, became the highest-ranking U.S. official to ever visit Antarctica during a trip that was intended as an opportunity to learn about how global warming is affecting the area from scientists and other officials.
“I’d rather go be with my team in tough places,” Pompeo said.
