Within days after returning to the White House, US President Donald Trump’s administration revoked the security protection for Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State during Trump’s first term, and Brian Hook. Both Pompeo and Hook face continued threats from Iran after they took a hardline stance on the Islamic Republic while in office during Trump’s first stint as president. The decision comes after Trump decided to revoke the security clearance of John Bolton, the former national security adviser who was fired during his first term as US President.
Earlier, Bolton wrote a book that the White House unsuccessfully sought to block, citing the disclosure of national security information. In a statement, Bolton said he was disappointed by the decision but not surprised.
Here’s what Trump said about his decision
When Trump was asked about his decision to end Pompeo and Hook’s security, Trump said, “Do you want to have a large detail of people guarding people for the rest of their lives? I mean, there’s risks to everything.”
The relations between Trump and Pompeo soared some months ago as Trump publicly revealed that the former secretary of state would be given no role in his new administration. The US President also fired Hook from his presidentially appointed position on the board of the Wilson Center, a think tank.
