Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is planning to host a battery of large-scale indoor holiday parties at the State Department in Washington, D.C., which means of course, that this could turn into a Coronavirus-o-Rama. This is in direct conflict with warnings other agency staffers have issued against attending any “non-mission critical events” as the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage, Mediaite [1] reports.
The Washington Post [2] reports event planners have been instructed to ignore the numerous public health guidelines established in the District of Columbia so that tony events replete with large crowds, and the requisite food and drinks can be held at the agency during the next few weeks.
Nearly 1,000 attendees are expected at one such event, a definitively foolhardy move where you can pretty much expect CDC guidelines will be violated, with many of these Trump-supporting fools neglecting to wear masks or maintain social distancing.
That event, scheduled for December 15, titled “Diplomacy at Home for the Holidays” will be held in the Benjamin Franklin Room and at least 900 people are expected to attend. This means of course if this goes as planned it may turn out to be a massive super-spreader event.
But this is far from the first time Pompeo has come under scrutiny for maintaining a lavish entertainment schedule. In June, NBC News [3] revealed he regularly hosted private, tax-payer funded parties for high-level Republican congressmen, notable TV hosts, Supreme Court Justices, key GOP donors, and other VIPs.
But after the Post queried the agency about the 900-person extravaganza, a State Department went on the defense, saying “we plan to fully enforce social distancing measures at this reception, and face-covering [sic] are mandatory for admittance.” However, the spokesperson didn’t have an explanation as to how party attendees could stay safe if they remove their face coverings while eating and drinking while surrounded by hundreds of people doing the same thing.
So in other words, it’s just business as usual as the Trump administration continues to ignore the pandemic that is now spiking once again and has killed [4] nearly 280,000 Americans.
Social Media is furious, and rightfully so:
The Pompeos have scammed the State Department since day-one. I hope they get the hell investigated out of them.
— Gailen David (@gailendavid) December 2, 2020 [5]
As so many Americans lie in hospital beds and others stand in food lines, this grifter wastes taxpayer dollars on this. It’s really sickening.
— Barbara Strangfeld (@BLStrangfeld) December 3, 2020 [6]
Why do the taxpayers have to pay for this criminal couple to have parties that are against all regulations & guidelines?
— #CountryOverParty 🇺🇸 (@n_ymiller) December 2, 2020 [7]
While many Americans have no food, this is just horrific.
— Eliza K (@Eliza328) December 2, 2020 [8]
Well, they're using government property so how much is this costing all of us? Not only is this failed administration burning it all down before they leave, they're gonna drain the treasury and kill people as an encore.
— Mary Alice Bishop (@MaryAliceBisho2) December 2, 2020 [9]
Pompous Pompeo's pomposity is true to type to the bitter end. Loves spending, adores the grandeur and attention but at taxpayers' expense.
— Ricardo Winters (@RicardoWinters8) December 2, 2020 [10]
What on earth are “the benefits of getting face time with” the OUTGOING Secretary of State, that diplomats are weighing with such difficulty?
— Zen Loon (@theZenLoon) December 3, 2020 [11]
I just spent 2 hours helping the neighborhood food pantry prepare for tomorrow's drive thru food pantry. We expect 100+ families to come for 2 bags of soup, dried beans, rice & peanut butter and the like.
Pompeo is just plain gauche.— The Blue Djin ➡️ Black Lives Matter (@TheBlueDjin) December 2, 2020 [12]
If there is taxpayer $$$for this, then where is the stimulus $$$ for all us little ppl?
— Treesch (@cbtc12) December 2, 2020 [13]