Mike Pompeo launches digital ad in Iowa and South Carolina focusing on religious freedom
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s super PAC launched an ad touting religious freedom in two early presidential primary states, a sign that he is seriously considering a presidential bid in 2024.
The digital ad is airing in South Carolina and Iowa, two states that hold early votes in the presidential primary. It’s another indication that Pompeo more than two years out from the election, even as former President Donald Trump continues to flirt with whether he will launch a campaign.
It focuses on school prayer on the heels of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that said a former high school football coach had the right to pray on the 50 yard line at a public high school’s games, marking a victory for religious conservatives from the U.S. Supreme Court which has generally outlawed prayer in public schools for the past 60 years. The decision reflects a rightward shift by the court, which last week overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that had guaranteed the right to an abortion for 49 years.
The U.S. Supreme Court case is mentioned — though not the decision — as the ad shows images of people praying. Pompeo, a former congressman from Wichita, then promises to protect religious freedom.
“They’re not just words. They’re not just actions. They are the things that make us,” Pompeo says. “They lift us, inspire us, save us. I’m Mike Pompeo, and this is who we are. Let’s make sure our religious freedom and our right to pray are never canceled.”
Pompeo, who served as CIA director and secretary of state under Trump, is laying the groundwork for a presidential run in 2024 even as Trump has indicated he’s likely to run again.
In early polling of the race, Trump holds a firm grip on the Republican base, though Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has gained ground as he’s picked up national attention for his defiant, brawling cultural conservative approach to leading his state. Pompeo has been polling in the low single digits.
Still, Pompeo has not officially launched a campaign for president. The ad is paid for by his super PAC, called Champion American Values. The PAC has raised $5.5 million and while Pompeo has endorsed a number of candidates running for office this year, it has only donated to $127,500 to other candidate committees.
The majority of the around $3 million the PAC has spent so far has gone to the Virginia-based firm Targeted Victory, for fundraising consulting and advertising. The new ad is the first one it has launched.
Since ending his time as secretary of state, Pompeo has worked for the Hudson Institute, a foreign-policy focused think tank, and has served as senior counsel for global affairs with the American Center for Law and Justice, a conservative legal organization founded by televangelist Pat Robertson. He spoke at CPAC, a prominent stage for Republicans, in both 2021 and 2022 and has already made trips to Iowa.
This story was originally published June 27, 2022 at 11:40 AM.
