Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke on the second night of the Republican National Convention on Aug. 25, 2020. He said that Trump “has held China accountable for covering up” the initial outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and that China had allowed it “to spread death and economic destruction.” Pompeo also said the coronavirus struck “courtesy of the Chinese Communist Party.” Research shows that the genetic makeup of the virus indicates it could not have been man-made and manufactured in a lab. This has been a source of tension between the two countries and China has consistently denied this accusation. Pompeo also cited the destruction of the ISIS caliphate and its leader as a victory for the administration. While the group no longer claims any physical territory, the forces that once held those lands still remain an active threat to stability.

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