Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday he believes President Trump was correct when he suggested former secretary of state John Kerry violated the Logan Act.
“It’s true. I was there in Munich … I saw not only Kerry … [others] met with the Iranian leadership,” Pompeo said during an appearance on “Fox and Friends.” “It’s unusual, but more importantly, it’s wrong.”
The secretary was commenting an explosive assertion from Trump earlier this month that Kerry committed a treasonous action when he reportedly was engaged in secret talks with Iranian diplomats in an attempt to salvage the Iranian nuclear deal after the current administration nixed it.
“What I would like to see with Iran, I would like to see them call me. John Kerry, he speaks to them a lot. John Kerry tells them not to call. That is a violation of the Logan Act. And frankly, he should be prosecuted on that,” Trump said.
The Logan Act forbids unauthorized persons from negotiating with foreign governments.
The U.S. relationship with Iran has been strained in recent months amid conflicting reports about “credible” threats U.S. military and intelligence officials say the powerful regime poses to American assets in the region and around the world.
The Trump administration has dismissed rumors of infighting among top staffers on how to deal with Iran while Republicans on Capitol Hill have accused Democrats of secretly negotiating with Iranian representatives.
“Every American should support America’s foreign policy, “ Pompeo said. “They had their moment, they had their day. It’s time to get off the stage.”
Trump has taken a hard line on Iran since taking office, declaring a section of the nation’s military a “terrorist organization” and pulling out of an Obama-era nuclear deal he decried as “disastrous.”
Pompeo said what Kerry was allegedly engaged in with Iran was risky at best.
“These acts border … we all know the Logan Act,” he said. “We all know the risk that is taken when people act as private citizens on behalf of the United States government.”
