Mike Pompeo doesn't rule out 2024 White House bid — even if Trump runs



Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Friday that he has not ruled out running for Republican presidential nominee in 2024 — even if his former boss, President Donald Trump, makes another White House bid that year.

What are the details?

During an interview with Fox Business' "WSJ at Large," host Gerard Baker asked Pompeo, "Are you seriously pondering a run in 2024 for the Republican nomination?"

"Just like every day, I'm going to go work for the set of policies that I've been working on all my life, including these last four years as CIA director and then secretary of state," Pompeo replied.

"I think America first makes an awful lot of sense," he continued. "We've got to do that here at home as well."

Pompeo went on to say, "What happens electorally in '22 matters an awful lot. I'm going to go work to help good conservative candidates be elected, and then we'll consider whether 2024 is an opportunity for me to go back to elected office or not. I love the fight, Gerry."

Baker then asked, "If President Trump runs again — and all indications are that he may — would you run against him?"

"That's a long way off," Pompeo responded, "I don't think any of us have figured out what we're doing 2024." But the former secretary of state left the possibility open, adding, "We'll make make those decisions another time."

Former Secretary of State @SecPompeo not ruling out a presidential run in 2024, even if it’s against… https://t.co/rWXNhvr8Yv
— WSJ at Large (@WSJ at Large)1618605940.0

Speculation about Pompeo running has ramped up in recent weeks after he traveled to Iowa and made a number of stops at GOP gatherings, in what CNN called "an unofficial but unsubtle step into the 2024 presidential race."

Pompeo declared on the March 26 trip, "We're in Iowa after all — the first-in-the-nation primary." Iowa is the first state to caucus, and the first primary is then held in New Hampshire.

Anything else?

Pompeo also hit the news Friday after the State Department's inspector general's office released the findings of its investigation into allegations that the former secretary of state and his wife, Susan Pompeo, instructed State Department staff to perform personal tasks for the couple on the taxpayer's dime.

Politico obtained the report, which found "over 100 requests to Department employees" by the Pompeos "that are inconsistent with the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch or raised questions about the proper use of Department resources."

Examples of tasks carried out by State Department employees for the Pompeos allegedly included addressing and mailing their Christmas cards, booking hair appointments for Mrs. Pompeo, planning non-government-affiliated events and setting up restaurant reservations for the family.

The outlet reported:

Mike Pompeo, in an interview with investigators, insisted that the requests were often small and the types of things friends do for friends. His lawyer, William Burck, slammed a draft version of the report he received as a politically biased "compilation of picayune complaints cherry-picked by the drafters."
The inspector general's office, however, defended the investigation, noting that many of the rules governing such interactions are clear, do not make exceptions for small tasks, and that the Pompeos' requests ultimately added up to use a significant amount of the time of employees paid by taxpayers.

Caitlyn Jenner mulling bid for California governor, in talks with GOP operatives: report



Former Olympian turned reality TV star Caitlyn Jenner is reportedly plotting a run for governor of California with the help of Republican operatives, as embattled Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom faces a recall effort.

What are the details?

Axios reported Tuesday that according to three sources, Jenner, 71, "is talking with political consultants as she actively explores a run for governor of California."

The outlet added that "Jenner is being assisted in her consideration by Caroline Wren, a longtime GOP fundraiser" who "initially met Jenner through her work with the American Unity Fund, a GOP nonprofit focused on LGBT issues."

Jenner, a longtime Republican, is a transgender activist who transitioned in 2015.

Wren also raised money for President Donald Trump's 2020 campaign, Axios noted. Jenner and Wren declined to comment on the story.

According to The Hill, Jenner's manager, Sophia Hutchins, earlier this year dismissed claims that Jenner was looking at a gubernatorial run, saying in February that Jenner "has never considered running for governor and is very happy doing the work that she is doing to promote LGBT rights and spending time with her 18 grandchildren and 10 children."

However, Jenner, did consider running to unseat Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) in 2017. Although that bid never materialized, Jenner might now see an opportunity for statewide office with the California's Democratic governor in a vulnerable position amid a campaign to have him ousted.

An effort to recall Newsom was launched amid outrage over the governor's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in the state, particularly his high profile visit to The French Laundry restaurant with a large group of people — which was in violation of his own coronavirus restrictions.

The recall campaign collected 2.1 million signatures that are currently being reviewed by election officials in the state for certification. With only 1.5 million valid signatures needed to put the recall on the ballot, the recall is expected to be certified — in which case an election on the recall could happen as early as October.

What did the former governor say?

Newsom has blamed the effort on Republicans, but former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger warned the Democrat last week that the recall scenario looks very similar to the one that made the Hollywood megastar the state's chief executive.

Schwarzenegger won election in 2003 after a statewide energy crisis that sparked a recall effort against then-Gov. Gray Davis (D). Schwarzenegger won, and the rest is history. But he says it could happen again, this year.

"It's pretty much the same atmosphere today as it was then," Schwarzenegger told Politico. "There was dissatisfaction, to the highest level [in political leadership]. It's the same vibe."

Schwarzenegger argued that the recall against Newsom is not as partisan as Democrats are making it out to be. The former governor says the Republican Party in California doesn't even have the power to get people elected, and that "these are the signatures of the ordinary folks that have signed on" to boot out Newsom.

Lara Trump reportedly mulling 2022 Senate bid in North Carolina



President Donald Trump's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, is considering running for U.S. Senate in her home state of North Carolina in 2022, according to multiple reports.

What are the details?

The New York Times cited "three allies" who claim that Ms. Trump, 38, who is married to the president's second son, Eric, is purportedly mulling a bid to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Richard Burr.

Ms. Trump has been an outspoken advocate for her father-in-law leading up to the 2020 election, serving as an adviser to the Trump/Pence campaign and leading its Women's Empowerment Tour. She also spoke at the Republican National Convention earlier this year.

Lara Trump previously worked as a television producer and a personal trainer. She and Eric Trump currently live in New York with their two children, so her prospective candidacy would require a move.

Fellow campaign adviser Mercedes Schlapp told the Times of Ms. Trump, "She's very charismatic, she understands retail politics well, and has a natural instinct for politics." Schlapp added, "In North Carolina, in particular, she's a household name and people know her. She worked really hard on the campaign and was very involved in a lot of decisions throughout."

Former White House senior adviser and Trump 2016 campaign manager Kellyanne Conway added that Ms. Trump "would be formidable" as a candidate, saying, "She has the trifecta: She can raise money, raise awareness of key issues and raise attention to her race. Unlike many typical politicians, she connects with people and is a compelling messenger."

While Ms. Trump did not provide the Times with a comment on her plans, Politico also cited an unnamed source in reporting that she has her eye on running for Burr's seat.

The outlet reported:

A Lara Trump candidacy would upend what is already likely to be a crowded GOP primary to replace Burr. Mark Meadows, the president's chief of staff and former congressman from the state, is considered a potential candidate. Retiring Rep. Mark Walker is also a likely contender after briefly considering a primary challenge to Tillis last year. Former Gov. Pat McCrory and outgoing Lt. Gov. Dan Forest, who lost the governor's race, could also be in the mix.

The Washington Examiner further noted:

North Carolina is a swing state but has tilted Republican in presidential and Senate elections. Democrats have not won a Senate contest there since 2006. Republicans have won the state's Electoral College votes in three consecutive presidential races, although the president only defeated Biden by roughly 1.4 percentage points.