In a new memoir, former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo accuses Nikki Haley of plotting with Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump to be named vice-president while she served as Donald Trump's ambassador to the United Nations. The book, Never Give an Inch: Fighting for the America I Love, is set for publication next week and contains several broadsides at potential rivals in the 2024 Republican primary.
Pompeo writes that Haley secured a personal Oval Office meeting with Trump without consulting him, and instead of meeting the president alone, she was accompanied by Trump's daughter and son-in-law, both senior advisers. Pompeo quotes former chief of staff John Kelly as believing that the trio were presenting a possible 'Haley for vice-president' option, though Pompeo says he cannot confirm this.
The book also reveals that Trump had the 'nutty idea' of making Pompeo both secretary of state and secretary of defense simultaneously. Pompeo recounts that on 19 July 2020, chief of staff Mark Meadows told him Trump wanted him to add the defense portfolio, but the plan did not materialise.
Pompeo is respectful of Trump and Mike Pence in the memoir, but criticises Haley for resigning as UN ambassador in October 2018, accusing her of 'abandoning' Trump and the people of South Carolina. He also disparages the role of UN ambassador as 'far less important than people think'.
The book adds to the intrigue surrounding the 2024 Republican primary, with Trump the only declared candidate but rivals such as Haley and Ron DeSantis expected to enter the race. Pompeo also attacks former national security adviser John Bolton, suggesting he should be jailed for leaking classified information.
