Mike Pompeo’s statement on Sunday indicated his readiness to join a new Trump administration if invited infuriated former MAGA supporters of former president Donald Trump.
After leaving their respective posts in the Trump administration in January 2021, Pompeo, secretary of state and director of the CIA, and his former boss have on occasion strongly disagreed. With former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley dropping out of the campaign after losing most state primaries on Super Tuesday, Trump is in a solid position to earn the GOP nomination for president in 2024.
On X, many MAGA supporters aired their grievances about the former secretary of state’s lack of allegiance and performance during Trump’s presidency.
Republican Arizona state senator Wendy Rogers said she used to appreciate Mike Pompeo until Pompeo became disloyal, which prompted her to express that his deceit will never deceive her again.
During an interview with Fox News, Pompeo addressed questions of loyalty by saying that it is reasonable for a president to demand commitment to the administration’s agenda. But, last year, during an interview with Fox News host Martha MacCallum, Pompeo rejected Trump’s claim about quickly ending the crisis in Ukraine. That rejection has led to criticism and questioning of Pompeo.
After a video of Trump discussing a simple, confidential negotiation strategy with Fox News host Sean Hannity surfaced, many began to wonder if the war could be ended in a single day.
Pompeo made the claim—without identifying Trump by name—that the Trump administration deterred Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine while he was secretary of state.
The ex-secretary of state and Trump had a public spat during the 2022 midterms. While Trump backed Dr. Mehmet Oz in the Pennsylvania GOP Senate primaries, Pompeo backed former hedge fund CEO David McCormick. Even though he narrowly won the primary, Democratic Senator John Fetterman defeated Oz in the midterms.
