Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, whose name was mentioned as a potential candidate for 2024 presidential race, has decided not to run.
“We’re not going to join the race in 2024,” Pompeo told Fox News’ Bret Baier in an interview on Friday, when asked about his decision.
“We came to the conclusion that this wasn’t the moment for us,” he added, referencing his wife, Susan.
Pompeo stressed finding a way to compete against former President Donald Trump and other Republicans did not factor into his decision.
“Frankly, this race I hope isn’t about people. I hope it’s about ideas,” he said.
Pompeo had been considering whether he would enter the race for months. He said in December that he would announce his decision by the spring.
Asked in a September interview with Israel National News whether he would run for President in 2024, the former Secretary of State replied, “Not much has changed. We’re still trying to figure our way through this. We’re probably six months closer than when we last spoke. Come the first of the year or the beginning of the next, Susan and I will have to make a decision. I’m just praying that America gets the right next leader.”
In a statement posted to his Twitter account following his appearance on Fox News, Pompeo said that his decision was a “personal” one that now is not the “right time” for him and his family to launch a presidential campaign.
He said he and his wife decided that the best roles they can serve are as parents, Sunday school teachers and business and community leaders.
In the Fox interview, Pompeo did not say in the interview whether he would consider endorsing a candidate during the Republican primaries, telling Baier, “we’ll see how it plays out.”
“It’s not about any one person,” he explained. “I want to find that person who cannot only talk about the things that matter to every family in America but who can actually build an organization, create a team and deliver that for the American people.”
Trump has already announced his candidacy for the 2024 Republican nomination, as have former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley and former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson.
Florida Governor Don DeSantis has not yet announced a presidential bid, but has been actively preparing for a campaign and is widely expected to make a final decision later this year. Another potential candidate, former Vice President Mike Pence, has said he will make a decision “by the spring” about whether to seek the presidency in 2024.