When Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS) had designs for a 2016 Senate run, Republican officials reportedly went to great lengths to discourage his candidacy.
Donald Trump’s transition team confirmed Friday that the President-elect nominated Pompeo to serve as director of the CIA in his administration, a position that requires Senate confirmation.
CNN’s Manu Raju reported last week that Republicans had warned Pompeo that he would face “a brutal onslaught” if he were to run and went as far as hiring a retired FBI agent to look into Pompeo’s background.
Multiple senators urged Pompeo to abandon his plans and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) called Pompeo personally, according to the report. Pompeo ultimately decided not to run.
In the months before President-elect Donald Trump’s election victory, Republican lawmakers had scrambled to defend vulnerable GOP senators whose campaigns were overshadowed by Trump’s unconventional bid.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee focused on defending its majority in the chamber at the beginning of the 2016 election cycle, and that strategy included discouraging Pompeo’s potential run against Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS).
Do we know why Pompeo is not liked by his fellow GOPers?
Has no intelligence experience. Sounds IDEAL for this job…just wondering who, within the Trump ass kisser loyalist cabal, had the inspiration of genius to push him for this critical task.
On the bright side, it might really infuriate R. James Woolsey, after all he did for Trump these past two months.
he serves on the House Intel committee.
Until proven otherwise, all of the ‘commotion’ was on account of him running against a Republican this cycle.
I know that I should hate McConnell and former RSCC chairman Tasker, but goddamn that was brilliant.