As President Trump begins considering replacements for former national security adviser John Bolton, sources close to the administration say it’s possible Trump will make an unusual pick and ask Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to fill the role.
The scenario of Pompeo taking the job while keeping his current one has historical precedent in Henry Kissinger, who served in both positions from 1973 to 1975.
Holding both jobs would “appeal to anyone with a sense of history,” said a Republican operative close to Pompeo. “The Henry Kissinger scenario is one that I can imagine. The president has a great deal of trust in him.”
Pompeo openly holds presidential ambitions and has considered a Kansas Senate campaign next year, though he told the Washington Examiner last month he won’t run. He and Bolton were sometimes bitter rivals for Trump’s ear on foreign policy.
“I would think he stays put [in the administration], and I would think this makes it a lot more interesting from a historical perspective,” the operative close to Pompeo said.
[Also read: ‘He made some very big mistakes’: Trump takes parting shot at Bolton]
Two sources familiar with internal administration dynamics noted Trump’s close relationship with Pompeo, who insisted on personally briefing Trump while CIA director from 2017 to 2018. As secretary of state, Pompeo frequently lunches with Trump at the White House.
“My presumption is that the selection will be guided by Pompeo,” said one source close to the White House. “I could actually see [Trump] suggesting Pompeo do both roles.”
“This would eliminate conflicting viewpoints between [Trump’s] top foreign policy person and his [national security adviser], which Trump sees as somewhat repetitive,” the source said.
A different source said they believe Pompeo will “pull a Kissinger” and that “it would work perfectly for him since he wants to be the only one Trump sees.”
Sources said, however, that it’s also possible Pompeo ultimately would advocate for someone other than himself.
Pompeo adviser Ricky Waddell, a deputy under former national security adviser H.R. McMaster, is widely seen as a candidate. Another option close to Pompeo is Stephen Biegun, Trump’s envoy to North Korea.
The sudden contest to replace Bolton, however, features intense competition, with various candidates either proposing themselves for the job or being touted by allies.
A former White House official said Richard Grenell, the U.S. ambassador to Germany and a potential Trump family favorite, is circulating as a possibility. They said a decision does not seem imminent, though Trump said Tuesday he would name someone next week.
Although Pompeo is regarded as more hawkish than the president, he’s built a strong personal relationship with Trump, more so than others being discussed as contenders. A Pompeo spokeswoman did not respond to requests for comment.
Key constituencies are pushing for retired Army Col. Douglas Macgregor, who has supported Trump’s calls for troop withdrawal from Afghanistan and Syria.
“He’s already made two mistakes by bringing in people who did not share his vision,” said one source close to the White House who has a favorable opinion of Macgregor, who often appears on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News program.
“It’s going to be hard to find people as qualified as Doug is who share the president’s vision,” said this source.
A senior administration official said that Macgregor’s name is circulating at the top levels of the White House. His detractors, however, see him as egotistical and likely to clash with Trump, even if they agree on many policies.
Trump’s next national security adviser will be his fourth since taking office. He fired his first pick, Michael Flynn, after about three weeks. McMaster served more than a year before being replaced with Bolton in April 2018.
