Mike Pompeo is interrupted during a speech at Yale by three protesters
>
‘You are the epitome of evil’: Protesters disrupt Mike Pompeo’s speech at Yale University – but former secretary of state said he’s ‘glad the young people were able to exercise their First Amendment rights’
- Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, 58, was interrupted during a Yale speech
- The hiatus came when he spoke of an incident in which he was called the ‘worst foreign minister in history’
- Pompeo said hecklers are doing a ‘tremendous disservice to co-workers and peers’ by yelling at him
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was disturbed by protesters when he delivered a speech at Yale University Thursday night.
The hiatus began when Pompeo discussed a person who described him as the “worst secretary of state in history.”
It was the perfect sign for one of the hecklers to get up from his seat and yell, ‘Yeah, you’re right. You are the worst secretary of state in history.’
After the first heckler was cleared from the room by security, they were quickly followed by two more protesters, each seated around the auditorium.
One shouted that he came from the ‘deep state’, ‘destroy this land’ and a ‘swamp monster’, while another said he was the ’embodiment of evil’.
Some audience members booed and booed the hecklers, while others applauded as Pompeo tried to have a civilized conversation with the disruptor.
Mike Pompeo was interrupted by three protesters during a speech at Yale when he recalled an incident where someone described him as the ‘worst secretary of state in history’
Pompeo promoted ‘intellectual diversity’ on Yale . campus
The first interruption came when he described how he had been spoken to in the past
Pompeo spoke to promote “intellectual diversity” on the Connecticut campus.
The 58-year-old who served under former President Donald Trump spoke about what he saw as a threat to the American way of life and recalled Trump’s “America First” ideology.
Pompeo said the hecklers are doing a “tremendous disservice to colleagues and colleagues” by yelling.
“It’s a shame they didn’t come to listen and argue instead of noise,” Pompeo said. “They just wanted to scream. . . those are not the most beautiful traditions of our country.’
Others gathered to hear Pompeo speak grabbed their cell phones to film the intermission
Only a few guards were there to clear up the disturbance
Security was quickly on hand to escort the protesters out of the auditorium
The hecklers got up and made their voices heard as they tried Pompeo. to take down
At one point, a heckler blamed him for the 2020 killing Iranian terror leader General Qassem Soleimani in a US military strike.
Soleimani was the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ elite Quds Force.
Pompeo was quick to justify the murder: “We saved countless lives by beating Qassem Soleimani,” he replied.
“I’m glad the young people were able to exercise their rights to the First Amendment,” Pompeo told Fox news. “This can only happen in the United States.”
The three protesters, Kynan Thistlethwaite, Jose Vega and Ben Smith, were removed from the venue.
The Yale Daily News said the three involved were not affiliated with the university and were being escorted “under the university’s policy on freedom of expression.”
“The disruption of Secretary Pompeo’s speech highlights that freedom of expression across America is at risk,” said Lauren Noble, who hosted Pompeo’s speech. “This is the last reminder that more needs to be done to ensure that university campuses are spaces for open debate and discussion.”
She added: “We are deeply indebted to the Yale Police Department who escorted the protesters out of the event, and to the overwhelming support of the public, who booed and mocked the protesters, and applauded Secretary Pompeo’s impartial response. ‘
Pompeo is the second former secretary of state to visit Yale recently; Hillary Clinton spoke about leadership at the Law School last week.
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivered a speech at Yale . on Thursday evening