Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) isn’t hiding his desire for Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to run for Kansas Senate next year.
According to a Kansas City Star report Tuesday, Pompeo revealed that he is set to share a stage with the Senate majority leader — who has been outspoken about his desire for Pompeo to potentially replace retiring Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KY) — on Monday for a speech at the University of Louisville’s McConnell Center.
“I’ll share some thoughts on what the Trump administration is continuing to do here in the western hemisphere to protect the American people,” Pompeo said about the event, according to the Kansas City Star.
When asked Tuesday about the significance of his appearance with McConnell, Pompeo simply wished reporters a happy Thanksgiving.
Gary Gregg, the center’s director, told the Kansas City Star in an email that McConnell will likely hold a Q-and-A with Pompeo as he has done with past speakers.
Last week, President Trump suggested that Pompeo would consider running for the Senate if Republicans could potentially lose the Kansas seat. Earlier this month, Pompeo reportedly felt “under siege” after he felt like “he’s getting a bunch of blame from the President and the White House for having hired all these people who are turning against Trump.”
Pompeo has made several visits to Kansas this year, fueling speculation that he may launch a Senate run. Last month, The Wall Street Journal reported that Pompeo met with big-time Republican donor Charles Koch and discussed the Senate race.
Pompeo’s upcoming trip to Kentucky comes amid scrutiny over his role in Trump’s Ukraine pressure campaign that was an effort to dig up false allegations against the President’s political rivals.
Read Kansas City’s Star report here.
