Tag: Mike Pompeo

Trump, Pompeo, and Bolton: The Path to War

The following article by Ken Gude was posted on the Center for American Progress website April 11, 2018:

CIA director Mike Pompeo attends a meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House on March, 20, 2018, in Washington, D.C. Credit: Getty/Saul Loeb/AFP Photo

President Donald Trump is putting the United States on a dangerous path to devastating wars by shuffling his national security team to assemble a war Cabinet. To fill the position of America’s top diplomat, President Trump has chosen the hawkish current CIA Director Mike Pompeo—a man who notoriously prefers regime change to diplomacy. And newly appointed National Security Adviser John R. Bolton was one of the principle architects and defenders of the Iraq War; wants to abrogate the Iran deal; and appears eager to launch preventive military strikes against North Korea. Both Pompeo and Bolton replace less hawkish advisers and will enable the worst instincts of the already erratic and reckless President Trump. By nominating Pompeo and appointing Bolton, Trump has chosen a path that could lead to war. Continue reading “Trump, Pompeo, and Bolton: The Path to War”

Pompeo and Bolton Appointments Raise Alarm Over Ties to Anti-Islam Groups

The following article by Laurie Goodstein was posted on the New York Times website April 6, 2018:

Mike Pompeo, the C.I.A. director, has been chosen by President Trump to replace Rex Tillerson as secretary of state .Credit Jacquelyn Martin/AP

Nearly two months after the Boston Marathon bombing, Mike Pompeo, then a congressman from Kansas, took to the floor of the House to denounce American Muslim leaders for what he called their “silence” in response to the heinous terrorist attack.

“Silence has made these Islamic leaders across America potentially complicit in these acts,” Mr. Pompeo said, reading from prepared remarks.

In fact, more than half a dozen American Muslim organizations had issued statements condemning the bombing within hours of the attack. In the days following, Muslim groups organized news conferences, blood drives and prayer vigils. Mr. Pompeo was immediately informed that he was wrong, but did not apologize or respond to Muslim groups stung by his remarks. Continue reading “Pompeo and Bolton Appointments Raise Alarm Over Ties to Anti-Islam Groups”

While you weren’t looking: 5 stories from the Trump administration that aren’t about John Bolton

The following article by A.P. Joyce was posted on the mic.com website March 23, 2018:

This week, the news cycle has centered squarely on the ongoing Russia probe and unfolding drama at the White House, and excluded many other political news developments.

President Donald Trump began the week by attacking special counsel Robert Mueller specifically, rather than the Russia probe in general, for the first time on Twitter. He kept up his criticism as the week dragged on, even as his top lawyer in the case, attorney John Dowd, unexpectedly resigned on Thursday. Continue reading “While you weren’t looking: 5 stories from the Trump administration that aren’t about John Bolton”

Arrogant And Ignorant, Trump Is Making The World More Dangerous

The following article by Joe Conason was posted on the National Memo website March 14, 2018:

Representative Mike Pompeo (R-KS) testifies before a Senate Intelligence hearing on his nomination to head the CIA on Capitol Hill in Washington January 12, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

This planet just became a more dangerous place to live.

It may not have seemed so last week, when Donald Trump agreed to meet Kim Jong Un for negotiations over North Korea’s nuclear arsenal. Trump’s abrupt diplomatic offer was certainly an improvement on his jeering, boasting, and threatening on Twitter — even if he doesn’t understand that he gave away exactly what the dictator wanted most, without getting anything in return. The prospect of talks is almost always preferable to the possibility of war, which is why previous presidents consistently sought ways to engage the hereditary despots in Pyongyang Continue reading “Arrogant And Ignorant, Trump Is Making The World More Dangerous”

Trump’s Secretary of State pick is ‘the number 1 all time recipient of KOCH Industries $$$’

The following article by Joe Romm was posted on the ThinkProgress website March 13, 2018:

Mike Pompeo is, of course, a climate science denier and opponent of the Paris climate deal.

CIA Director Mike Pompeo has been chosen by Trump to be the next Secretary of State. Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images

President Donald Trump has officially fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and intends to nominate current CIA director Mike Pompeo in his place.

Tillerson was the former CEO of ExxonMobil, which for decades was the number one funder of climate science disinformation until they were surpassed by the Koch brothers starting in 2005. But before Pompeo became CIA Director in 2017, he had for six years been a GOP House member from Kansas — and “the #1 all time recipient of #KOCH Industries $$$,” as the nonprofit research group OpenSecrets.org tweeted at the time: Continue reading “Trump’s Secretary of State pick is ‘the number 1 all time recipient of KOCH Industries $$$’”

Trump ousts Tillerson, will replace him as secretary of state with CIA chief Pompeo

The following article by Ashley Parker, Philip Rucker, John Hudson and Carol D. Leonnig was posted on the Washington Post website March 13, 2018:

President Trump asked Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to step aside after months of disagreement, and picked CIA Director Mike Pompeo to replace him. (The Washington Post)

President Trump said Tuesday he has ousted Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and plans to nominate CIA Director Mike Pompeo to replace him as the nation’s top diplomat, orchestrating a major change to his national security team amid delicate outreach that includes possible talks with North Korea.

Trump and Tillerson have had a fraught relationship for many months. Trump told reporters Tuesday that he ultimately decided to fire the secretary because they disagreed over strategy in key areas of foreign policy, such as the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, the approach to North Korea and the overall tone of U.S. diplomacy. Continue reading “Trump ousts Tillerson, will replace him as secretary of state with CIA chief Pompeo”

CIA director expects Russia will try to target U.S. mid-term elections

The following article by the Reuters staff was posted on their website January 29, 2018:

CIA Director Mike Pompeo Credit:
Jacquelyn Martin/AP

LONDON (Reuters) – CIA Director Mike Pompeo said Russia will target U.S. mid-term elections later this year as part of the Kremlin’s attempt to influence domestic politics across the West, and warned the world had to do more to push back against Chinese meddling.

Russia has been accused of meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating the allegations, which Moscow denies, and whether there was any collusion involving President Donald Trump’s associates.

In an interview with the BBC aired on Tuesday, U.S. intelligence chief Pompeo said Russia had a long history of information campaigns and said its threat would not go away. Continue reading “CIA director expects Russia will try to target U.S. mid-term elections”

Rush to defend Trump from book’s claims creates more debate

The following article by Mallory Shelbourne was posted on the Hill website January 7, 2018:

Trump administration officials on Sunday are playing defense for their boss against shocking allegations reported in a new book detailing the first year of Trump’s presidency.

Multiple individuals close to President Trump hit the Sunday show circuit, including two Cabinet officials, but White House policy adviser Stephen Miller became the talk of the morning after Jake Tapper abruptly cut off a contentious interview with the Trump aide during CNN’s “State of the Union.” Continue reading “Rush to defend Trump from book’s claims creates more debate”

CIA director distorts intelligence community’s findings on Russian interference

The following article by Greg Miller was posted on the Washington Post website October 19, 2017:

CIA Director Mike Pompeo appeared at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies national security summit in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 19, 2017. (REUTERS/YURI GRIPAS) (Yuri Gripas/Reuters)

CIA Director Mike Pompeo declared Thursday that U.S. intelligence agencies determined that Russia’s interference in the 2016 American presidential election did not alter the outcome, a statement that distorted spy agency findings.

“The intelligence community’s assessment is that the Russian meddling that took place did not affect the outcome of the election,” Pompeo said at a security conference in Washington.

His comment suggested — falsely — that a report released by U.S. intelligence agencies in January had ruled out any impact that could be attributed to a covert Russian interference campaign that involved leaks of tens of thousands of stolen emails, the flooding of social media sites with false claims and the purchase of ads on Facebook. Continue reading “CIA director distorts intelligence community’s findings on Russian interference”

At CIA, a watchful eye on Mike Pompeo, the president’s ardent ally

The following article by Greg Miller was posted on the Washington Post website August 24, 2017:

CIA Director Mike Pompeo testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee in May. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

As CIA director, Mike Pompeo has taken a special interest in an agency unit that is closely tied to the investigation into possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign, requiring the Counterintelligence Mission Center to report directly to him.

Officials at the center have, in turn, kept a watchful eye on Pompeo, who has repeatedly played down Russia’s interference in the 2016 election and demonstrated a willingness to engage in political skirmishes for President Trump.

Current and former officials said that the arrangement has been a source of apprehension among the CIA’s upper ranks and that they could not recall a time in the agency’s history when a director faced a comparable conflict. Continue reading “At CIA, a watchful eye on Mike Pompeo, the president’s ardent ally”