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By Mandy Taheri and Gabe Whisnant
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President Donald Trump revoked security protection for his former Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, and a former top aide, Brian Hook, according to The New York Times, which spoke to four individuals familiar with the matter.
In addition, a congressional staffer and another individual familiar with the matter, both speaking on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the information, confirmed the change in security protection to the Associated Press. Pompeo and Hook were reportedly informed about the termination of their protection on Wednesday, with the change taking effect at 11 p.m. that same night.
The reported security protection removal comes despite warnings from former President Joe Biden's administration about ongoing threats from Iran against both men who served in the first Trump administration.
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Newsweek reached out to the White House, Pompeo's political action committee, and the investment firm where Hook serves as vice chairman for comment and confirmation via email on Thursday.
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Why It Matters
Reports that Trump removed the security details for Pompeo and Hook come as the president also revoked the security detail and Secret Service protection for former national security adviser John Bolton on Tuesday.
The security details were put in place due to ongoing threats related to their work with Iran, notably their involvement in the drone strike that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, leader of the Quds Force, in early 2020.
What To Know
Pompeo first served as director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) under Trump, and then as Secretary of State for over two and a half years, from April 2018 to January 2021.
Hook served as the U.S. Special Representative for Iran and as senior advisor to Pompeo during Trump's first term. Late Monday, his first day in office, Trump announced on Truth Social that he fired Hook from the Wilson Center for Scholars, for not being "aligned with our vision to Make America Great Again."
Both Pompeo and Hook, along with Bolton, were granted security details by the Biden administration due to ongoing threats. According to The New York Times, the outgoing administration briefed Trump on the status of these threats.
Trump's first administration took an aggressive approach on Iran which included withdrawing from the Iran Deal, Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in 2018, various sanctions, labeling Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a foreign terrorist organization, and the killing of Soleimani, among others.
The Associated Press, citing a congressional staffer and a person familiar with the matter, said that Pompeo and Hook were informed of the end of their security on Wednesday with it going into effect at 11 p.m. ET that evening.
What People Are Saying
Asked about the decision to end Pompeo and Hook's security, President Trump replied to reporters Thursday: "Do you want to have a large detail of people guarding people for the rest of their lives? I mean, there's risks to everything."
President Trump at a press conference Tuesday speaking about the removal of Bolton's security detail: "Because I think that was enough time. You take a job, you want to do a job, we're not going to have people with security for the rest of their lives. Why should we? ... You can't have that for life. You shouldn't expect it for life."
John Bolton, Trump's former National Security Advisor, said in a Tuesday statement to Newsweek: "I am disappointed but not surprised that President Trump has made this decision. Despite my criticisms of President Biden's national security policies, he made the decision to extend Secret Service protection to me in 2021."
Bolton also said while speaking to CNN on Thursday night in part: "I think I can speak for all the former officials who have been receiving different kinds of protection, we don't want it for the rest of our lives. We'd be delighted if tomorrow the intelligence community concluded that the Iranian threat had disappeared, or the regime had disappeared.
The security that President Biden granted me when he gave secret service protection to me in 2021 was based on a threat assessment that had nothing to do with the duration of the threat but had been made clear that Iran was determined to avenge the death of Qasem Soleimani. Thats why the threat is against President Trump himself, he after all ordered the operation. He had to give final approval, which he did, correctly in my view," Bolton said.
What Happens Next
Former Senator Marco Rubio was unanimously confirmed by the Senate to serve as Trump's incoming Secretary of State.
Updated 1/23/25, 10:25 p.m.: This article has been updated with a quote from Bolton in an interview with CNN.
Updated 1/23/25, 6:39 p.m.: This article has been updated with a quote from President Trump and additional reporting by the Associated Press.
Updated 1/23/25, 1:36 p.m.: This article has been updated with additional reporting from the Associated Press.
Updated 1/23/25, 12:10 p.m.: This article has been updated with additional context and information.
Updated: 1/23/25, 11:45 a.m.: This article was updated with additional information.
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