Trump ends security protection for Pompeo, others
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US President Donald Trump ends security protection for former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former top aide Brian Hook after assuming the presidency.
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Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2023, Friday, March 3, 2023, at National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland (AP)
US President Donald Trump has rescinded security protection for his former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a former senior aide Brian Hook, and ex-National Security Adviser John Bolton, despite warnings from the Biden administration about ongoing threats against these individuals.
The Biden administration claims there are ongoing threats from Iran, which led to concerns about their safety after they were top officials during the president's last term.
Pompeo and Hook played key roles in an aggressive US stance against Iran, notably the drone strike in 2020 that killed IRGC Quds Force leader Major General Qassem Soleimani. Intelligence assessments under the Biden administration indicated that threats against the three officials persisted. These threats were previously the basis for providing them with State Department security details.
Trump revoked their protection on Tuesday, a day after similarly ending the US Secret Service detail for John Bolton. The decisions come amid reports of internal disagreements within Trump’s team, particularly with figures linked to Pompeo, though the rationale for removing security for Hook and Pompeo remains unclear, as they both publicly supported Trump.
Bolton, who served during Trump’s first term but later emerged as a vocal critic, expressed disappointment over the decision, calling it "unsurprising."
In a post on X, Bolton referenced a 2022 Justice Department case against an Islamic Revolution Guard Corps official accused of attempting to hire someone to assassinate him. "That threat remains today, as also demonstrated by the recent arrest of someone trying to arrange for President Trump’s own assassination," he stated.
Bolton noted that despite his criticism of former Democratic President Joe Biden’s national security policies, Biden had extended Secret Service protection to him in 2021. "The American people can judge for themselves which President made the right call," Bolton remarked.
