Should he seek the highest office in the land, Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would be a presidential candidate without a clear path to victory, despite some impressive credentials and important political and national security accomplishments that belong in the history books. However, Pompeo could highlight many of Donald Trump’s shortcomings as president and perhaps damage his ability to win the election in 2024.
Here Comes Mike Pompeo
Secretary Pompeo remains proud of his accomplishments in the Trump administration, particularly his role in the remain-in-Mexico immigration policy that secured the U.S. border.
He also expresses pride in setting up the meeting between President Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, which he credits for keeping North Korea quiet through most of the Trump presidency.
He also seems to be proud of his work on the Abraham Accords that put Israel and many of its Arab neighbors on a path toward normalization. This has since come unglued under the Biden administration and its neglect of the Middle East and the rise of China as a powerbroker in the region.
Pompeo blames Joe Biden for the war in Ukraine, noting that his “weakness is the gift to (Vladimir) Putin that keeps on giving.”
Does Pompeo Have a Path To Victory?
Pompeo lacks a clear constituency that he could draw from, and his support hovers around 1% in many recent polls. While Pompeo clearly has deep national security experience, many times Americans are looking for a much broader skill set or someone who has a more national profile.
But that is just the first challenge. Any Republican who runs next year has to confront the fact Donald Trump has a lock on more than 50 percent of the Republican electorate. Even Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has the only significant following besides Trump, trails the former president by double digits.
Debates Would Be Key
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who widely is thought to be considering his own bid for 2024, stated that taking Trump down would require a debate blow similar to that he gave Sen. Marco Rubio in 2020.
It would take skill to make Trump look weak or expose the disconnect between the former president’s tough talk and his actual presidential record. Pompeo was an insider for Trump’s entire term, first as CIA director and then as Secretary of State. Pompeo likely has sized up his former boss’s weaknesses. Pompeo had a reputation as a master debater with a tendency toward hawkishness. Pompeo may be able to leverage his insider knowledge of the Trump Administration and Trump personally to hurt the president’s overall chances.
In a debate setting, Pompeo could hold former President Donald Trump’s feet to the fire for his disinterest in fiscal responsibility during his four years as president. Trump appointed Jerome Powell to head the Federal Reserve, and Powell’s policies are widely credited with contributing to inflation.
He could play a role in helping the Republican field reclaim the mantle of fiscal responsibility. He made his interest in the subject clear during an appearance with Shannon Bream on Fox News Sunday last month.
“Would a President Pompeo do a better job at managing the deficit and debt than a President Trump did?” Bream asked.
Pompeo slammed Trump saying, “I think a President Pompeo or any conservative president will do better than not only we did during the four years of the Trump administration, Barack Obama, George Bush. The list is long, Shannon.
Pompeo continued: “[We’re] $6 trillion more in debt,” Pompeo observed. “That’s never the right direction for the country, Shannon.”
Mike Pompeo doesn’t have a snowball’s chance of winning, but he could have a good time giving his former boss grief about his presidential missteps.
