Speaking at the White House after John
Bolton's surprise exit as national security adviser, Secretary of State
Mike Pompeo couldn't hide a smile of satisfaction.
With the departure of Bolton, Pompeo has become the undisputed king of
President Donald Trump's foreign policy -- with the exception, that is,
of Trump himself.
The former soldier, lawyer and businessman has made a quick ascent in
Washington since arriving as a Kansas congressman elected in the 2010
right-wing populist "Tea Party" movement.
But many speculate that Pompeo will choose not to stay long in his newly
powerful position, enticed by an opening to represent Kansas in the
Senate next year -- perhaps with an eye on running for the top prize in
the 2024 presidential election.
First tapped as CIA director before moving to the State Department last
year, Pompeo is so close to Trump that the president last year said he
was his only advisor with whom he has never argued.
Expectations even rose that Trump would name Pompeo to replace Bolton --
a rare dual-role as national security advisor and secretary of state
last held by Henry Kissinger.
Trump on Thursday ruled out the possibility but called Pompeo "fantastic" and said, "I get along with him so well."
Yet Pompeo's power, analysts say, comes with a paradox. While Bolton, a
Washington insider for over four decades, bulldozed his way to steer US
foreign policy to the right on issues from Iran to Venezuela, Pompeo has
risen because he is careful to follow Trump's lead.
"Pompeo is influential but it is important to be realistic about his
influence -- he's influential because he does not push his agenda too
much," said Tom Wright, a foreign policy scholar at the Brookings
Institution.
"He knows when to give up. He is the last person standing but also he's not particularly influential on policy," he said.
"He pushes his views and then he gives up quite early on if he sense that Trump is going in another direction."
- In tune with Trump -
Pompeo, 55, made his name in Congress by blasting Hillary Clinton, then
secretary of state, for not stopping the deadly 2012 attack on the US
consulate in Benghazi.
As the top US diplomat, Pompeo hit the ground running with assertive
conservative positions, such as demanding far-reaching concessions by
Iran if it wants to remove unilateral US sanctions.
But Pompeo on Tuesday instead left open the possibility that Trump would
meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and said there were no
preconditions.
Pompeo became Trump's fixer on North Korea, flying four times last year
to the totalitarian state as the US leader sought a potentially landmark
deal with Pyongyang.
Pompeo's State Department has also negotiated with the Taliban in hopes
of achieving Trump's goal of withdrawing troops from Afghanistan and
ending the US involvement in the 18-year conflict.
"Trump wants to have this diplomatic outreach to America's rivals. It's
not Pompeo's idea. It's the president having an agenda and getting rid
of people who oppose this," Wright said.
Trump's pivot toward diplomacy comes as he gears up for an election
campaign next year, when he hopes to be able to present concrete
achievements on the foreign policy front.
Pompeo has until June 1 to decide whether to run for the seat in Kansas
-- a state that has the longest streak of any state in electing
Republicans to the Senate.
A Senate seat would ensure Pompeo retains a senior post in Washington
regardless of the outcome of next year's election or the whims of Trump.
But for now, Pompeo is a rare Trump official whose job appears secure.
Asked in an interview last month about their relationship, Pompeo said he often voiced disagreements with Trump.
"But when he makes a decision and it's legal, it is my task to go execute that with all the energy and power that I have."
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