President-elect Donald Trump announced Saturday he will not ask his former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and UN ambassador Nikki Haley to join his cabinet, both of whom had served as cabinet members in his previous administration.
In a Truth Social post Saturday, the former president wrote that he would not be inviting Haley or Pompeo to join the Trump administration. He added: “I very much enjoyed and appreciated working with them previously, and would like to thank them for their service to our Country. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.”
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Pompeo had outlined a relatively pro-Ukrainian “Trump Peace Plan” in a July op-ed co-authored with David J. Urban and published by the Wall Street Journal. The plan involved more weapons transfers and tough action against Russia’s energy sector, which analysts have consistently noted was at odds with Trump’s campaign statements.
“The announcement indicates the extent to which loyalty will factor into the workings of the second Trump administration,” according to Politico.
Haley ran against Trump for president in 2024 and did not campaign with him even though she offered. Pompeo, who also served as Trump’s CIA director, considered a presidential bid of his own in 2024, according to Politico, but decided against challenging Trump for the Republican nomination. Both also endorsed Trump rather later in the cycle compared to other Trump supporters.
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Two people familiar with the deliberations told Politico that Pompeo, who had campaigned for Trump, was making a concerted effort to be named to the position of defense secretary.
The two anonymous sources added that Pompeo’s bid to become the nation’s Department of Defense chief ran into vehement pushback from close allies of the former president, including his son, Donald Trump Jr., and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
“Trump’s post came a half hour after Politico asked the transition team to comment on a story being prepared about Pompeo’s bid being blocked by Trump Jr. and Carlson,” the news outlet reported.
“There is a desire to not have people with presidential ambitions” use Trump cabinet posts as a launch pad, said one of the two Politico sources, a former senior Trump administration official. “He got burned by Mike previously, and by Haley, and his foreign policy views are not aligned with the President.”
Pompeo, a West Point grad and former House member, had long been among a handful of names publicly circulating as a possible defense secretary in a second Trump administration.
Another stumbling block for Pompeo was the fact that he has been on the board of directors of Kyistar, Ukraine’s biggest mobile telephone operator, since late 2023. The potential conflict of interest would have drawn close scrutiny in the Senate approval process.
Haley, who earlier in the year was one of Trump’s harshest critics, softened her tones in recent months.
“Ambassador Haley was proud to work with President Trump as she defended America at the United Nations. She wishes him, and all who serve, great success in moving us forward to a stronger, safer America over the next four years,” said Haley spokesperson Chaney Denton.
A spokesperson for Pompeo did not immediately respond to Politico requests for comment. Carlson and a spokesperson for Trump Jr. also did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
However, Carlson’s April tirade on the popular Joe Rogan podcast had recently been resurrected to fuel a post-Election Day “Stop Pompeo” campaign among MAGA movement leaders.
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