Source: Politics<\/p>\n
Mike Pompeo, the former secretary of State and CIA director under Donald Trump, announced on Friday that he will not be seeking the Republican nomination for president.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have made a decision,\u201d Pompeo told Fox News host Bret Baier. \u201cI was on your show a number of months back and you asked what I was going to do in 2024. Susan and I now have been thinking about it and prayerfully have come to the conclusion that we’re not going to join the race in 2024.\u201d<\/p>\n
He continued, \u201cWhile we care deeply about America and the issues that I have been talking about this last year and a half and frankly for decades matter an awful lot. This isn’t our moment. This isn’t the time for us to seek elected office.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pompeo\u2019s decision came after months of private deliberation with his family and public assertions that his former boss would not play a role in his decision to seek the presidency. Pompeo said that he will \u201csee how the primary plays out\u201d before making a decision on any endorsement, but said that he might not support Trump.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think Americans are thirsting for people making arguments, not just tweets,\u201d said Pompeo, when asked if he thinks anyone can beat Trump, who currently leads in polling.<\/p>\n
The Republican primary field is already crowded and includes Trump, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, fintech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Sen. Tim Scott, (R-S.C.), who recently announced an exploratory committee. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former vice president Mike Pence have also signaled they plan to make announcements in the coming months.<\/p>\n
The former congressman from Kansas recently wrapped up a book tour for his memoir, \u201cNever Give an Inch: Fighting for the America I Love.\u201d The book focused on his time driving foreign policy for the Trump administration and his book tour was widely seen as a testing ground for a presidential run. There were other telltale hints of Pompeo’s 2024 ambitions \u2013 he made frequent trips to states like Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina to headline GOP events and rub elbows with powerful players in early voting states.<\/p>\n
In a sign of his ambitions to be a leading Republican voice on foreign affairs, Pompeo quietly led a delegation of business leaders and lawmakers on a trip to Kyiv in early April for a meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Pompeo said he would encourage Washington to supply Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets and long-range missiles. On the ground, he toured with leaders from Samaritan\u2019s Purse, an evangelical charity organization providing aid to Ukraine. That visit was largely overshadowed by news of Trump\u2019s arraignment.<\/p>\n
Despite his decision to not enter the race, Pompeo said he would continue to play a role in Republican politics.<\/p>\n