Siouxland Chamber of Commerce, 36th Annual Dinner

The Siouxland Chamber of Commerce hosted its 36th annual dinner last Thursday at the Sioux City Convention Center. Mike Pompeo, the 70th Secretary of State and former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), delivered the keynote address with over 1,400 people in attendance. It was estimated to be the largest indoor gathering in Sioux City since March 2020. 

During his 20-minute speech, Pompeo spoke about his accomplishments as Secretary of State, including meeting with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, closing down a Chinese consulate in Houston accused of spying on American citizens and facilitating the Abraham Accords. 

Pompeo criticized the Biden Administration on their handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal, the Russo-Ukrainian conflict and the economy. He named the Chinese Communist Party as the “greatest foreign adversary,” but stated that the largest threat to our country is from within. 

Following the address, he answered three questions as part of a Q&A session with Siouxland Chamber of Commerce President Chris McGowan.

Pompeo spoke amid rumors he is considering a run for the presidency. He is also named as a defendant in a recent lawsuit against the CIA over allegations that the CIA violated the fourth amendment by unlawfully downloading data from the personal devices of those visiting Julian Assange at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.