Ohio Republican Mike Turner said on Face the Nation Sunday that he was “very concerned” about former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo after President Donald Trump rescinded national security details earlier this week. “There is,” he said.
Mr Pompeo and his top aide Brian Hook, who have been under threat from Iran since taking a hard line against the Islamic Republic during the first Trump administration, were informed of the loss of protection on Wednesday night. Ta.
Just the day before, President Trump similarly ended protection for former national security adviser John Bolton, who was fired as national security adviser during Trump’s first term and became a fierce critic of Trump. did.
Bolton later wrote a book, which the White House unsuccessfully sought to block on the grounds that it had leaked national security information. Bolton, the target of an assassination attempt by Iran, said in a statement that he was disappointed but not surprised by the decision.
Two senior Republican senators on Sunday urged President Trump to reconsider his decision to strip Mr. Bolton and Mr. Pompeo of their personal protection.
“I would encourage the president to reconsider his decision on behalf of those targeted by Iran,” Tom Cotton, chairman of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee, told Fox News Sunday.
In 2022, the United States indicted members of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards on charges of plotting to kill Bolton, who served as President Trump’s third national security adviser until he was fired in 2019.
In 2020, Iran vowed to retaliate after President Trump ordered a drone strike that killed Qassem Suleimani, commander of the Revolutionary Guard’s elite Quds Force.
“I have reviewed the intelligence over the last few days. President Donald Trump’s threats against those involved in the attack on Suleimani persist. That’s true. Iran is fully committed to revenge against all of these people,” Cotton said. he said.
President Trump told reporters that the government can’t protect people forever and said former officials could pay for security out of their own pockets.
Lindsey Graham, a strong supporter of President Trump, told CNN that Trump’s move could make it harder to hire the right talent in the future.
“Whether you like John Bolton or not, it doesn’t matter to me. If you work for our government and join a foreign power at the request of our government, we will hang you.” “We need to make sure we don’t,” he said.
President Trump also revoked the security clearances of dozens of former intelligence officials who signed a 2020 letter saying the Hunter Biden laptop incident had the hallmarks of a “Russian intelligence operation.”
President Trump’s attitude toward Pompeo worsened several months ago, when he publicly stated that he would not have any role in the new administration. In a social media post this week, he removed Hook from his presidentially appointed position on the board of the Wilson Center think tank.
Representatives for Mr. Pompeo did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and Mr. Hook has not responded to multiple voice and text messages from The Associated Press since Mr. Bolton was stripped of his protection on Tuesday.
Asked about the decision to end security for Pompeo and Hook, Trump told reporters: In other words, there is risk in everything. ”
In a March 2022 report to Congress, the State Department said it was paying Pompeo and Hook more than $2 million a month to provide 24-hour security. However, the amount was not disclosed in subsequent decisions.
The State Department told lawmakers that the threats against Mr. Pompeo and Mr. Hook remain “serious and credible” and that the security details provided by the government remain legitimate.
A former Biden administration official briefed on the matter said Trump administration officials were “well aware” of “active intimidation” against former officials and called the move “grossly irresponsible.” criticized.
