(CNN) Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Friday that he will not run for president in 2024.
“This is not our moment,” Pompeo said on Fox News.
Pompeo, who has fueled speculation about a potential bid, said choosing not to run in 2024 was a “deeply personal decision” for him and his wife, Susan. He has traveled to a series of early voting states in recent months.
Pompeo admitted that Donald Trump had no reason for his decision, but he took some shots at the former president, whose Cabinet Pompeo served as both CIA director and secretary of state.
“I think the American people are thirsty for people who make arguments, not just tweets. I think they are looking for someone who can clearly express their vision for what should be done by the parents to help their children succeed in schools and how we can get crime off our streets and cities,” Pompeo said.
He continued, “I don’t know if that’s going to be the President Trump the American people choose or if that’s who our party is going to choose to be the nominee. That’s really important.”
In a written statement, Pompeo left open the possibility of a future run and said, “There remain many opportunities where the time may be more appropriate while the leadership of the presidency is more necessary.”
The former CIA director launched the political group Champion American Values PAC in 2021 aimed at supporting conservative candidates ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.
Recently, he went on tour earlier this year for his book, “Never Give an Inch: Fighting for the America I Love,” where he claimed that former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley plans with Trump’s daughter Ivanka and her son-in-law Jared. Kushner to try to become Trump’s vice president.
As to whether he would support someone in the 2024 GOP primary, Pompeo said he would “see how it plays out” and said he would not endorse Trump.
“I want to find the person who can not only talk about the things that matter to every family in America but can actually build an organization, build a team and deliver that for the American people. That’s what’s important to me . whoever is the right person, I will, as I have always done in my life, I will leave him and do everything I can to help him.”
Pompeo, who has been a close ally of Trump during his administration, is the first person to serve as both CIA director and secretary of state. He was once a congressman representing the 4th District of Kansas but left the office to join the Trump administration.
Pompeo has taken veiled shots at Trump in recent months, including in his comments at the Conservative Political Action Conference, where Pompeo said, “We cannot be passive, following popular leaders who have their own brand of identity politics – those with weak. egos who refuse to recognize the truth.”
This story has been updated with additional information.
