TRUMP IS AN IDEA WHOSE TIME HAS COME -MIKE POMPEO

Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo believes that Donald Trump's second term is largely a continuation of his first, the key difference being that Trump is now more prepared.

- MIKE POMPEO

While the first 50 days of Trump 2.0 have been full of “noise”, Pompeo sees in them not flux but the enduring of consistent Trumpian themes. At the India Today Conclave, as he offered insightful commentary on global institutions, US foreign policy and the shifting geopolitical landscape, the only drastic departure from the past Pompeo presented was in his own dramatic physical transformation—the former CIA director appeared leaner, reportedly having lost 90 pounds in six months.

Discussing the Russia-Ukraine war, Pompeo acknowledged that the confrontation between Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House was “unfortunate”, but assured it would not impact US policy on Ukraine. He reiterated Trump’s long-standing stance that Europe must take greater responsibility for its own security, rather than relying on US military and economic support. “The President has been clear: we need Europeans to invest, to stop buying Russian natural gas—these were the things he spoke about throughout his campaign,” Pompeo remarked.