Trump Revokes Security Detail for Pompeo and Others, Despite Threats From Iran
Source: New York Times
Jan. 23, 2025Updated 1:38 p.m. ET
President Trump revoked security protection for his former secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, and a former top aide, Brian Hook, despite warnings from the Biden administration that both men faced ongoing threats from Iran because of actions they took on Mr. Trumps behalf, four people with knowledge of the matter said on Thursday.
Mr. Pompeo and Mr. Hook had been part of an aggressive posture against Iran during the first Trump presidency, most notably the drone strike that killed the powerful Iranian general Qassim Suleimani in early 2020. Mr. Trump also remains under threat because of that action, and his advisers have regularly stressed the seriousness of the situation in the years between his two terms in office.
Mr. Pompeo and Mr. Hook had their security details, which were believed to be provided by the State Department, pulled on Tuesday, one of the people briefed on the matter said. A day before, Mr. Trump pulled the U.S. Secret Service detail of John R. Bolton, who was Mr. Trumps third national security adviser and also faces threats.
Other than former presidents and their spouses, senior U.S. officials are not automatically granted ongoing protection. But the threat assessments from the intelligence community that the risk level remained for Mr. Pompeo, Mr. Hook and Mr. Bolton had been the basis for the Biden administration granting it to them.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/23/us/politics/trump-pompeo-security-iran.html
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Lovie777
(15,942 posts)I will not protect you. Keep quiet, you and your family may remain safe.
The Mob.
in2herbs
(3,370 posts)they will spill the beans on his corruption.
Raven123
(6,251 posts)CentralMass
(15,806 posts)sakabatou
(43,671 posts)displaced in ID
(38 posts)This is a threat directed toward his current batch of toadies. Don't go against me or this will happen to you. Threats and distractions is what we get for the next four years.
moniss
(6,389 posts)an emergency or use it as an excuse to attack? Would it be in complete character for him to have a pal "arrange" an incident? I think he looks at doing these types of things as giving him a thrill for the meanness and for the possibilities.
bluestarone
(18,585 posts)Power?
SpankMe
(3,346 posts)I don't know why congress can't overrule POTUS and make a law that mandates protection for a certain list of individuals. Russia, especially, is known for assassinations on non-Russian soil. This sets a very bad precedent.
If there is a god and a Dem takes the WH in '28, I wonder how Trump would feel about his lifetime SS protection being taken away by that POTUS?
As an aside, Nixon turned down SS protection about ten years after he left office. He provided security at his own expense from that point forward saying he was rich enough to afford it.
Trump could save the taxpayers money by opting out of SS protection when he leaves office, and use some of that $6B he just made on his meme-coin to pay for a group of armed thugs to protect him.
tishaLA
(14,433 posts)He was one of the top consiglieres
Oneear
(305 posts)This is like putting people out in the open and see who shows up to take the Bate to Clean up.
Jilly_in_VA
(11,411 posts)and says he will "feel no responsiblity" if something happens to them. Spoken like a true mob boss. He also said that "you can't espect protection just because you worked for the government at some time."
HOW LONG BEFORE HE REVOKES SECURITY FOR FORMER PRESIDENTS?