(CNN) Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo He said on Friday that he will not contest the presidential election in 2024.
“This is not our moment,” Pompeo said on Fox News.
Pompeo, fueling speculation about a possible bid, said it was a “deeply personal decision” for him and his wife, Susan, not to run in 2024. He has visited early voting states in recent months.
Pompeo said Donald Trump was not responsible for his decision, but he did take some shots at the former president, whose cabinet Pompeo served as director of the CIA and secretary of state.
“I think Americans are hungry for arguments, not just tweets. I think they’re looking for somebody who can clearly articulate their vision of what parents need to do to help their kids succeed in schools, how we get crime off our streets and our cities,” Pompeo said.
He continued, “I don’t know if it’s going to end up being the President Trump the American people choose or who our party is going to choose as its nominee. But I hope it’s going to be real arguments, discussions about things. That’s really important.”
In a written statement, Pompeo left open the possibility of a run in the future, saying “there are many more opportunities where presidential leadership is still necessary and the timing is more appropriate.”
The former CIA director launched the political group Champion American Values PAC in 2021, which aims to support conservative candidates ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.
Most recently, he toured earlier this year for his book “Never Give an Inch: Fighting for the America I Love,” in which former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said she conspired with Trump’s daughter Ivanka and her son-in-law Jared. Kushner is trying to become Trump’s vice president.
As for whether he would endorse someone in the GOP 2024 primary, Pompeo said he would “see how that plays out,” adding that he would not endorse Trump.
“I want to find someone who can not only talk about things that are important to every family in America, but who can actually build an organization, build a team, and deliver that to the American people. That’s what’s important to me. When I find out who that right person is, that’s what I’ve always done in my life. Like, I’ll get behind him and do whatever I can to help him.
Pompeo, a close ally of Trump’s administration, is the first person to serve as director of the CIA and as secretary of state. He was previously a congressman representing Kansas’ 4th district, but left office to join the Trump administration.
Pompeo took a dig at Trump in recent months at the Conservative Political Action Conference, where Pompeo said, “We can’t become leftists, following celebrity leaders who have their own identity politics — weak. Egos who refuse to acknowledge reality.”
This story has been updated with additional information.
