Mike Pompeo The bull was in As US secretary, the diplomatic china shop of state — set loose by a president, Donald Trump, “who was prepared to break glass.”
“I was blessed in that way, very much,” Pompeo The Post. “It was the single biggest challenge of my life, for sure,” He said of his three years as America’s top diplomat. “Look, I was a soldier. My demeanor might be more Department of Defense than Department of State, that’s probably fair. But it was always in the context of trying to obtain the objective that the American people needed.”
Pompeo — a self-described “grinder” Who was the first? in his class at West Point — was a surprise pick as Trump’s first CIA director. Months later, Trump booted Secretary of Nominated by State Rex Tillerson Pompeo in He took his place.
“Leading our intelligence warriors was the finest experience of my life,” He writes in His Memoir “Never Give An Inch: Fighting For the America I Love” Broadside Books, out Tuesday. “Leading the State Department was, well, fascinating.” Here’s a list of some of his observations on the world’s leaders — and Dennis Rodman.
Kamala Harris, the Democrats
2017 Pompeo writes, the CIA developed a still-secret plan to counter Iran’s interference in The Iraqi National Elections. First, he needed to report on a congressional oversight panel.
“Well, Iran won’t like that!” Harris was then an American senator from California and was worried.
“No way, you cannot do this,” Rep. Adam Schiff was the one who complained.
The majority “galling,” Pompeo It was Illinois Senator Dick Durbin that asked the question, writes. “How do you explain this to the New York Times?”
“We’re f–king America,” Pompeo The Dems who were weak-hearted laughed at them. “I wouldn’t explain it to the New York Times because they simply could not understand that we are the good guys.
“They just had a fundamental misunderstanding of America as a force for good in the world.”
Vladimir Putin
Russia’s ruler “can be funny and mirthful, even while being evil,” Pompeo writes. The former director of The FSB “He knew all about me, where I grew up, my background,” Pompeo said. “So he’d make jokes — ‘Oh that’s right, you’re from that lefty little place in southern California,’ things like that.
“He was always testing, probing, but he had a good sense of humor,” Pompeo Recalled of Putin. “And he could give and take; I’d studied him too. So the conversations were fraught and difficult, but there were absolutely lighter moments.”
Pompeo’s CIA saved hundreds of Life in 2017, when it alerted Russia to an imminent ISIS attack on Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg. Putin called Pompeo He should be thanked directly by saying: “Tank Man saved our ass.”
This nickname “was a little bit about my background” As a US Army Cavalry Lieutenant, Pompeo said, “and a little bit about my demeanor: straight ahead and always on offense.
“I actually like that moniker, even if it came from an unreconstructed KGB officer.”
Kim Jong Not
Pompeo The were often met with “small, sweating, evil” dictator of North Korea His credit Kim With “brains, savvy, and ruthlessness” — but also writes how the tiny tyrant could display flashes of humor.
Their summit in 2018 in Singapore, Trump tried making light of The infamous “Little Rocket Man” At him, insult Kim The previous year.
“Trump said [Elton John’s ‘Rocket Man’] was a great song, and he intended the reference as a compliment,” Pompeo writes.
“‘Rocket Man,’ okay,” Kim Translated. “‘Little,’ not okay.”
“We all laughed,” Pompeo writes.
Trump is the master of the Twitter taunt, “used this language with actually great effect,” Pompeo said. “I’m not claiming with intention. But I could see Chairman Kim understood: these guys are different and maybe we can find some way to take down the risk. We were definitely breaking some glass on this one.”
Xi Jinping
The “dour” President of China “not so much serious as dead-eyed,” Pompeo writes. “Of the dozens of world leaders I met, he was among the most unpleasant.”
Both sides were affected by the distasteful outcome. The distaste was both. Pompeo publicly blamed the Chinese Communist Party for the COVID pandemic sweeping the world, Xi called Trump — to get Pompeo fired.
“My Mike, that f–king guy hates you!” Trump exclaimed.
Weeks later, Pompeo He posted what he claims was an apology and took sly revenge. “completely innocent photo” of his dog cuddling a well-chewed Winnie-the-Pooh toy — but it was widely seen as a dig against the Chinese leader, who uncannily resembles the cartoon bear.
“It was nothing, a little bit of fun, but the Chinese propaganda organs still write about that to this day,” Pompeo said. “And yeah, they do kind of look alike.”
Dennis Rodman
This is the NBA’s oddball. in Pompeo’s opinion, a true intelligence asset when it comes to North Korea.
Rodman “provided us with the most detailed knowledge of Chairman Kim we had in our collection, including many insights about Kim’s personality,” Pompeo writes.
KimA huge fan of American sports, venerated Rodman, who first visited him in 2013. Trump knew Trump the bad basketball boy “The Apprentice.”
“Oh, you should call him!” Trump told his then-CIA director — adding, “Make sure to call him before noon! He’s usually drunk or stoned after that.”
“One day,” Pompeo promises, “I am going to publicly do an imitation of President Trump doing an imitation of Dennis Rodman doing an imitation of Chairman Kim. Yes, that really happened.”
Emmanuel Macron
The President of France believed that he was not who he claimed to be. “the ‘Trump whisperer.’”
Macron, determined to save the Iran nuclear agreement, blasted the US president in Meet face-to-face in 2019 with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani Finally, “infuriated” Trump shouted at him through the telephone.
“Stop! Stop calling me,” Trump shouted. “Stop calling them and begging — you look like a weak little girl!”
He twisted the knife with a nod to the populist Yellow Vest protesters then bedeviling Macron’s rule. “Run your country,” Trump advised insolently “or the yellow jackets will.”
“France gave up on its mediation effort,” Pompeo writes.
