CIA/FOREIGN POLICY/MIKE POMPEO/REX TILLERSON/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Donald Trump’s plan to nominate CIA Director Mike Pompeo to succeed Rex Tillerson as secretary of state positions a crucial Trump ally as the administration’s top diplomat, one who the president said is more in line with his foreign-policy vision.
Mr. Pompeo is among the few outsiders to have developed a seemingly close relationship with the president. The two meet each morning for the daily intelligence brief, conducted by the Central Intelligence Agency director. During the meetings, Mr. Pompeo explained the nuances of major international issues to Mr. Trump, officials close to him said. He also would, at times, would bring in CIA staffers to explain a particular issue or how they obtained a key piece of intelligence.
As CIA director, Mr. Pompeo demanded the Counterintelligence Mission Center report to him, which some Trump administration critics said hampered the agency from aggressively pursuing charges of collusion between Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign. He also pushed for more agents to go to the front lines of major conflict zones.
Most notably, he delicately walked a line between a president who frequently criticized the intelligence community and the agents under his command angered by Mr. Trump’s remarks.
Because of his close relationship with the president, Mr. Pompeo’s name frequently appeared on shortlists for jobs inside the White House, including as a possible successor to chief of staff John Kelly. But some suggested the charming former Kansas congressman didn’t belong behind the White House walls, but rather on a larger platform than even the CIA directorship could offer.”
-Nancy A. Youssef, “Pompeo Nomination for Secretary of State Signals Shift on Foreign Policy,” The Wall Street Journal online, Mar. 13, 2018 01:43pm