Secretary of State desperately tries to separate the White House from Iranian group Bolton and Giuliani advocated
While President Donald Trump's lawyer and National Security Advisor are speaking to a controversial Iranian resistance group in Iran, the State Department is trying desperately to separate itself.
According to Axios, Secretary Mike Pompeo met with around 15 Iranian-American community leaders in a Renaissance Dallas Hotel. He spent most of the time listening and answering questions for those fearful Trump could bomb Iran out of the blue.
He confirmed the president is "not going to do a military exercise inside Iran."
"If regime change does not occur internally what is the endgame?" one person asked, according to sources in the meeting.
"We're careful not to use the language of regime change," Pompeo replied. He repeated that Trump would never intervene militarily in the country.
"Has the idea of a coup been considered?" Another participant asked Pompeo.
"Even if we did, would I be telling you guys about it?" he joked.
Pompeo complained about the green uprising in 2009, saying the Trump administration would have handled it differently, though he didn't clarify how.
When probed about Giuliani and Bolton's speeches to the controversial group, he said it was different because it isn't the president himself.
"Let's not beat around the bush," Pompeo said. "Ambassador Bolton spoke at an MEK rally. President Trump and I have not."
The source explained Pompeo "acknowledged that John Bolton and Rudy Giuliani had connections or ties, whatever you want to call it ... with the MEK, but he did say that he and the president did not."