Mike Pompeo criticized by MSNBC panel as a wannabe ‘heir to Trumpism’ trying to ‘cash in’

On Friday, an MSNBC panel excoriated Secretary of State Mike Pompeo amid the latest scandal surrounding the inspector general firing.

"This is what Pompeo is doing here, he's trying to enrich himself politically, and Trump absolutely despises that," said reporter John Heilemann. "Someone trying to cash in on Trump with his political capital. It spells — look, we'll see what happens. He likes Pompeo, but Pompeo is heading down a path that's very familiar and it doesn't go to a good place."

"I almost laughed out loud when John said, he likes Pompeo," said host Nicolle Wallace. "He likes no one. And I think he has found Pompeo a reliable stooge, if you will. Pompeo was on the phone with Selensky. But Mike Pompeo has always been a partisan political animal, but no one thought he was a dummy, some of this conduct is so hubristic, and from a political standpoint is just dumb."

"And so unbecoming, Nicolle," said former GOP strategist Steve Schmidt. "He graduated first in his class at West Point. What a disappointment, seemingly one of the more corrupt of the Trump cabinet members. And you're right, he's been one of the Trump presidency's fiercest defenders. Like a cast of characters around this administration, they're looking ahead. They're looking ahead to maybe a Biden victory. But looking ahead to his own presidential campaign."

"I should just add that this is a moment of unparalleled American weakness," continued Schmidt. "We have a gaggle of foreign leaders, our allies all standing together laughing at the president of the United States, who they regard as a buffoon, clown, a liar. Our diplomacy has never been at a lower point — he's the architect of a national security policy, riding shotgun with Donald Trump, that has brought America to its weakest and lowest moment in its 75 years that have passed since the end of the Second World War through this afternoon. He's done a terrible job as secretary of state, but he's one of the heirs to Trumpism who will certainly try to rise from crown prince to king of the hill in the next couple of years."

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