On Tuesday, United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticised members of President-elect Joe Biden's incoming administration, stating that they have lived in a "fantasy world" and "led from behind".

In an interview with Fox News, Pompeo stated that "I know some of these folks, they took a very different view, they lived in a bit of a fantasy world" adding that "they led from behind, they appeased. I hope they will choose a different course".

President-elect Biden's upcoming administrative picks in the national security and foreign policy teams predominantly comprise individuals who held senior positions in the Obama Administration, including Antony Blinken - one of Biden's longtime advisers who also held senior foreign policy posts during the Obama years, as his Deputy Secretary of State.

Pompeo acknowledged the General Services Administration's declaration confirming Biden as the winner of the Presidential Election, and the formal initiation of the transitioning process, stating that "today we began the process to see what GSA’s decision was and we’ll do everything that’s required by law". The GSA's verification of the results of the election will allow the President-elect to access federal transition funds and to contact federal agencies to implement staffing measures.

Secretary Pompeo criticised the Obama Administration for having "led from behind", specifically pertaining to their relations with the Iranian regime, adding that the United States had been "funnelling tens of billions of dollars into [giving them] the things that help you build out a nuclear weapons program”. “The previous administration had chosen to give them an awful lot of that thing, money. We’ve chosen to deny them,” he said.

The Biden transition team declined to comment on the Secretary of State’s criticism.