Media reports have discussed Pompeo as a possible Republican vice presidential candidate. Former President Donald Trump (R) became the presumptive Republican presidential nominee on March 12, 2024, and is expected to select a running mate ahead of the 2024 Republican National Convention (RNC), which will take place from July 15 to 18. In 2020, President Joe Biden (D) announced Vice President Kamala Harris (D) as his running mate six days before the start of the Democratic National Convention (DNC). In 2016, both Hillary Clinton (D) and Trump announced their running mates three days before the DNC and RNC, respectively. North Korea-United States Singapore Summit (2018) While C.I.A. Director, but after it was announced that he would become Secretary of State, Pompeo took an unannounced trip to North Korea on Easter weekend in April 2018. Pompeo met with Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un to discuss a possible summit between Kim and President Trump. Kim and Trump met in Singapore in June 2018 in what was the first meeting between leaders of the two countries. Remarks during visit to Saudi Arabia (2018) In 2018, Pompeo said that the U.S. would continue to work with Saudi Arabia to defend its borders and that Iran’s involvement in the region through the Houthi rebels in Yemen was a violation of UN Security Council resolutions. Withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (2018) After withdrawal from the JCPOA in May of 2018, Pompeo announced the United State’s desire to “1. Apply the strongest possible financial pressure; 2. Deter any Iranian aggression; 3. Advocate for Iranian people; 4. Seek bold new steps with not only our allies & partners, but with Iran as well.” Pompeo said that the U.S. would be working to eliminate threats from Iran by building a global effort to increase sanctions and to end Iran’s terrorist activities throughout the world. He also reiterated the United State’s position that Iran is “the greatest sponsor of terrorism in the world, and we are determined to make sure it never possesses a nuclear weapon. The Iran deal in its current form does not provide that assurance." Reaffirmation of U.S. commitment to NATO (2018) After being sworn in as secretary of state, Pompeo reaffirmed the U.S.' commitment to NATO. Pompeo discussed the threat that Russia posed to NATO-member nations and that “the United States has made abundantly clear that NATO should not return to business as usual with Russia until Moscow shows a clear change in its actions and complies with international law." He also called “on NATO to increase its interactions with regional organizations that are fighting terrorism.” Response to President Donald Trump's (R) meeting with Kim Jong-un (2018) Ahead of President Trump’s meeting with Kim Jong-un, Pompeo discussed the U.S.' goals for the meeting and the relationship with North Korea. He said, "In light of how many flimsy agreements the United States has made in previous years, this President will ensure that no potential agreement will fail to adequately address the North Korean threat. The ultimate objective we seek from diplomacy with North Korea has not changed. The complete and verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is the only outcome that the United States will accept.” He said that “President Trump is hopeful, but he’s also going into the summit with his eyes wide open. …The President recognizes that North Korea has great potential, and he looks forward to a day when sanctions on the DPRK can begin to be removed. However, that cannot happen until the DPRK completely and verifiably eliminates its weapons of mass destruction programs.” Assasination of Iranian Qasem Soleimani (2020) Pompeo was influential in President Trump’s decision to have Iranian general Qassem Soleimani killed by drone strike in January 2020. According to the Pentagon, Soleimani was “responsible for ‘the deaths of hundreds of American and coalition service members and the wounding of thousands more." Pompeo later said the strike was ordered upon evidence that “Soleimani was engaged in a plot to kill another 500 Americans.” Declaration against China’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims (2021) On his last day as Secretary of State, Pompeo announced that the State Department had determined that China was committing ongoing genocide against Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang Province. In response, the next day China announced sanctions against Pompeo, and other Trump-administration officials, banning them and their families from traveling to China and doing business with China.