‘Always up for a fight’: Mike Pompeo refuses to rule out presidential run on Hannity
‘I’m always up for a good fight,’ says Trump ally
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Your support makes all the difference.Mike Pompeo has refused to rule out a presidential run for 2024, causing speculation the former US secretary of state will throw his hat into the ring.
Speaking on Fox News on Wednesday night, Mr Pompeo said he would consider running for president if former President Donald Trump does not.
It follows Mr Trump’s suggestion on Sunday that he may be considering another run for office in 2024, in a speech delivered to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Florida.
Mr Pompeo was asked by Fox News anchor Sean Hannity on Wednesday whether he would “consider getting in that race” should Mr Trump eventually pull out of contention for 2024.
“Sean, I’m always up for a good fight,” Mr Pompeo told the host. “I care deeply about America. You and I have been part of the conservative movement for an awfully long time now. I aim to keep at it.”
Read more:Mike Pompeo accuses Democrats of trading ‘army green for AOC green’ in CPAC speech
Mr Hannity said he would take Mr Pompeo’s answer as "a strong maybe", to which the former secretary of state remarked, "That’s perfect."
Mr Pompeo also addressed CPAC last weekend, touting the previous administration’s “America First” foreign policy and his own work as a diplomat.
The Paris Climate Accords, which Joe Biden rejoined in January after Mr Trump pulled-out, were “a fantasy for elite diplomats”, Mr Pompeo told the CPAC crowd.
Several other Republicans also considered as potential candidates for 2024 made preemptive pitches to the CPAC crowd, including senators Tom Cotton, Josh Hawley, and Ted Cruz – still under-fire for a trip to Cancun during a winter storm crisis.
Republican governors Ron DeSantis and Kristi Noem are also considered as potential 2024 runners, alongside Donald Trump Jr, the former president’s oldest son.
The party currently remains divided over its future direction, with several Republican members of Congress scaling-back criticism of Mr Trump following initial anger at the Capitol riot on 6 January.
Mitch McConnell, the Republican minority leader in the Senate, said last week he would in fact support Mr Trump running in 2024, after saying he was “morally and practically responsible” for the riot, which left five people dead.
Despite the former president’s popularity, as few as 55 per cent of the CPAC crowd said last week that he wanted to see him run for office again, following his defeat to Mr Biden.
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