Mike Pompeo
Mike Pompeo

C'mon, Mike. You are much better than this.

Former CIA director Mike Pompeo, who graduated first in his West Point class and went on to earn a degree from Harvard Law, has reduced himself to a foot soldier in Donald Trump's plan to blame China for the spread of COVID-19 here.

After saying there's "significant evidence" the COVID-19 originated in a Wuhan laboratory, now Secretary of State Pompeo made George Orwell proud on May 3 when he delivered this gem of doublespeak during his appearance on ABC's "This Week."

"The best experts so far seem to think it was man-made. I have no reason to disbelieve that at this point," he said. When challenged with the fact that US intelligence agencies don't think COVID-19 is man-made, Pompeo effortlessly shifted gears. "I've seen what the intelligence community has said, I have no reason to believe that they've got it wrong," he said

So what is it, Mike? Is it man-made, or not? And are you throwing the intelligence community under the bus?

Your verbal gyrations are inappropriate as nearly 70K Americans have died from COVID-19 and the president is now talking about more than 100K deaths.

China quickly jumped all over Pompeo's statement, presenting it as part of the Trump administration's "unprecedented propaganda, while trying to impede global efforts in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic."

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. China did not cover itself in glory in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic as it initially covered up the severity of the outbreak there and muzzled scientists. That was the off-Broadway show that Trump took to the Great White Way.

With an idea of both silencing critics and redeeming itself before the rest of the world, China has made development of a COVID-19 vaccine by September a national priority.

Not to diminish America's private sector know-how, but what if China develops a vaccine before the US does and limits our access to it?

There is no international agreement covering the production and distribution of vaccines. The World Health Organization has traditionally served as a forum for the discussion of vaccine distribution, but has no global enforcement authority. Trump already has trashed the WHO and yanked its funding.

As the world's No. 1 and No. 2 economies, the US and China should be cooperating in the fight against the pandemic, not lodging propaganda pot shots at each other.

Like it or not: We're all in this together.