Pompeo says Biden 'made an enormous mistake' and caused 'global shame' in spy balloon response

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the Biden administration "made an enormous mistake" that caused "global shame" in its response to suspected spy balloons. 

Pompeo was angry that the Chinese spy balloon was not shot down until after it had traversed much of the continental United States and was over the Atlantic Ocean, The Hill reported Tuesday.

"I don’t know what it collected," he said. "I don’t know what signals intelligence it may have had. I don’t know what imagery it may have been able to garner."

Because the U.S. waited to shoot down the balloon, it created "an enormous geopolitical advantage" for China, Pompeo also said. "I can’t imagine that the risk of some falling debris over a place like Montana exceeded the risk of global shame."

Of the four suspicious objects shot down by the U.S. military since Feb. 4, American officials have confirmed only the first one, which officials believe was sent to gather intel on major nuclear sites, is part of a larger Chinese military surveillance balloon fleet.

Pompeo also told the D.C. outlet that he and other Trump administration officials were unaware of any spy balloons that entered the U.S. while they were in office.

Pompeo, who had a strong approach to China while in the Trump administration, is considered a possible contender for the 2024 presidential nomination.