Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is learning that loyalty with Donald Trump is a one-way street. It’s been painfully obvious for everyone to see but Pompeo stood by Trump’s side anyway even after the “president” has continued to throw some of his staunchest supporters under the bus. Just ask former attorney general Jeff Sessions about that.
And now, Trump’s ire is directed at Pompeo after State Department officials have testified in the impeachment inquiry. According to what four current and former senior administration officials told NBC News, Trump has been fuming for weeks, thinking that Pompeo is responsible for hiring State Department officials whose congressional testimony threatens to bring down his “presidency.”
According to the report, Trump confronted Pompeo over what he perceives to be a lackluster effort by the secretary of state to block their testimony. A senior administration official told the news outlet that Trump “just felt like, ‘rein your people in.”
Trump is particularly angry at Pompeo for tapping Ambassador Bill Taylor to be the top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine. Taylor publicly testified in front of the House Intelligence Committee last week and provided revealing details on Trump’s effort to pressure Ukraine into investigating his rival Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.
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Pompeo knows that even the individuals he has hired are now turning against Trump, and that puts him in a difficult position.
“He feels like he’s getting a bunch of blame from the president and the White House for having hired all these people who are turning against Trump,” an official said of Pompeo, “and that it’s the State Department that is going to bring him down, so it’s all Pompeo’s fault.”
So far, four current State Department officials have testified before the House Intelligence Committee, including former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, whose testimony ended with a standing ovation from attendees at the hearing.
With Trump, the buck never stops with him. The former reality show star never takes responsibility for his own actions, but instead, expects everyone in his orbit to cover up his appalling and amateurish actions.
Featured image via screen capture
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