Pompeo: 'Less Noise' Needed From Our Leaders (Newsmax)
By Charlie McCarthy | Wednesday, 16 November 2022 03:11 PM EST
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo used social media Wednesday to take an apparent poke at former President Donald Trump.
Pompeo commented a day after Trump officially declared his 2024 presidential campaign.
Trump repeatedly referred to himself as a "victim" during his Tuesday night speech.
"We need more seriousness, less noise, and leaders who are looking forward, not staring in the rearview mirror claiming victimhood," Pompeo tweeted late Wednesday morning.
Pompeo, who has been mentioned as a possible contender for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, was interviewed by Hugh Hewitt on Tuesday, hours before Trump announced the start of his campaign.
"We're trying to think our way though, figuring out what's next for us," Pompeo, referring to himself and wife Susan, told Hewitt. "We've been part of the conservative movement for 30 years. We will still be part of the conservative movement until the good Lord takes us from this planet.
"And our decision about whether that'll be by putting ourselves forward in the election that's ahead of us still is a decision to be made. But what happens today or tomorrow, what some other person decides won't have any impact on that."
A recent NBC News poll suggests Trump is losing his hold on the party's voters. A total of 28% of midterms voters said their vote was "to oppose Donald Trump," even though Trump was out of office.
Pompeo is just one of several Trump administration veterans being discussed as potential GOP presidential contenders. Former President Mike Pence and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley also have been mentioned.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, assuming he runs, is widely considered to be Trump's top opponent to lead the next GOP national ticket.
DeSantis shrugged off attacks from Trump on Tuesday, telling onlookers to "check the scoreboard" on his overwhelming victory in last week's election.
The governor's response came in a press conference after he initially avoided responding to Trump's attacks, which included criticisms of loyalty before the 2024 presidential primaries.
"One of the things I've learned, like learn in this job is … when you're leading, when you're getting, getting things done, yeah, you take incoming fire. That's just the nature of it," DeSantis said.