Pompeo Praises ‘Zionist’ Biden, But Warns About Renewal of Iran Nuclear Deal
The former secretary of state had warm words for a man he might be challenging in two years.

Speaking at Palm Beach, the former secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, who is now mulling a run for the presidency in 2024, offered words of support for the policies of his potential rival, President Biden, regarding both Israel and Ukraine.
Mr. Pompeo, an attendee told the Sun, told a largely Jewish audience at the Palm Beach Synagogue that he thinks the president is a “Zionist.” He did, however, criticize the Mr. Biden for his pursuit of a renegotiated nuclear deal with Iran, and emphasized the existential threat to Israel posed by the Iranian nuclear program.
Mr. Pompeo also praised Mr. Biden’s handling of the war in Ukraine and the threat of Russian aggression. He had previously expressed support for the administration’s decision to send Patriot missiles to Ukraine, which he told Fox News earlier this week would “restore deterrence” to the region.
He did, however, caution the audience against celebrating the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner from Russian prison, while non-celebrity Americans languish in prisons elsewhere.
If Mr. Pompeo hopes to win the Republican nomination, his support for Mr. Biden’s actions in Ukraine might not go over well among GOP voters. A recent poll from the Chicago Council on Global Affairs found waning Republican support for American assistance in Ukraine.
When Russia invaded Ukraine in March, 80 percent of Republicans supported military aid to the beleaguered nation. Now support among Republicans has fallen to 55 percent, lower than the 76 percent of Democrats who support military aid.
While Democrats largely favor maintaining the status quo in terms of American support for Ukraine, a plurality of Republicans favor gradually withdrawing support for Ukraine.
A majority of Republicans also favor encouraging Ukraine “to settle for peace as soon as possible” even at the cost of territorial losses, to avoid further impacts on the American economy. Democrats, on the other hand, are more likely to support continuing aid to Ukraine “for as long as possible” even if it requires American households to shoulder the burden.
Mr. Pompeo’s remarks came in a conversation about “The Future of U.S.-Israel Relations,” with a former reporter of the New York Sun, Eliana Johnson, who now serves as editor-in-chief of the Washington Free Beacon. The former State Secretary also weighed in on geopolitical threats to both countries from North Korea and Communist China.
Mr. Pompeo’s public appearances have raised speculation about a 2024 run, which he has not denied. He told Shannon Bream of Fox News that he would make a decision about entering the race for the GOP nomination against his former boss by “sometime in the spring.”