- Mike Pompeo made veiled jabs at his former boss Donald Trump during his CPAC speech.
- He appeared to be referencing Trump's big personality and refusal to accept his 2020 election loss.
Mike Pompeo, the former secretary of state under Donald Trump, appeared to make thinly veiled jabs against his former boss while speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Friday.
"We can't become the left, following celebrity leaders with their own brand of identity politics — those with fragile egos who refuse to acknowledge reality," Pompeo said.
"We can't shift blame to others, but must accept the responsibility that comes to those of us who step forward and lead."
While not naming Trump directly, Pompeo appeared to be referencing Trump's big personality and continued refusal to accept his 2020 election loss.
In the initial months after the election, Pompeo stood by his boss and also declined to accept the election results, at one point referring to an incoming "second Trump administration."
However, following the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, Pompeo distanced himself from the claims and called the attack "unacceptable."
In his CPAC speech, Pompeo, widely believed to be considering a 2024 presidential bid, also referenced his former boss' electoral record and suggested that the GOP's current strategy was not working.
"We lost three elections in a row and the popular vote in seven of the last eight. There are many reasons for this, but one of them is they've lost trust in conservative ideas," he said.
Nikki Haley, who has declared her candidacy for 2024, also made similarly veiled criticisms of Trump during her CPAC speech on Friday and made a near-identical statement to Pompeo about the GOP's recent electoral track record.
Their speeches indicate the delicate balancing act that Trump's former allies are having to maintain in the run-up to the 2024 election – distancing themselves from their former boss while not infuriating his loyal base.
Pompeo also tried to lay out his conservative credentials and called on "fierce" people who are "true believers" to take on the fight.
"Don't hand that government more power under the guise of conservatism," Pompeo said. "We shouldn't look for larger-than-life personalities, but rather we should fight power in the rooms like this one."
The Washington Post's Aaron Blake suggested that this line of argument could have been pointed at Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has not declared his candidacy but is widely expected to run.
DeSantis has generated some criticism from limited-government conservatives for being too heavy-handed in dealing with so-called "woke" entities.
The annual event in National Harbor, Maryland, appeared quieter than previous years, with photos and videos on social media showing many empty seats in the crowd.