US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo found himself in hot water with his boss, President Donald Trump, on Monday after he published a picture of himself washing dishes in gym shorts and a Christmas-themed apron while his wife sat at a table playing cards. RNA - US officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said on Monday that while Pompeo had had the best of intentions in mind by posting the pic on his official Twitter account on Christmas, Trump had seen it “totally differently” and was already looking to replace Pompeo.
“President Trump was understandably infuriated, being the misogynist that he is,” explained one official, who was present when Donald Trump Jr. walked up to his father to show him the picture on a smart phone.
“The president was so furious he didn’t produce a word, not even half a word,” said another official. “I mean, for a moment there, we were worried for POTUS’ health.”
The expression of worry was not entirely out of place. Trump did not tweet about the matter, either, hugely uncharacteristic behavior that may indicate pressure is building up in the US president internally.
A third official familiar with Trump’s thinking sought to calm concerns by explaining that the president wasn’t against washing dishes “per se.”
“The president wouldn’t have snapped had everything not been so staged, with the camera angled for both Mike and Susan Pompeo to be in the picture like that. I’d like to explain to the American people that President Trump would have been okay with Mike just washing the dishes.”
On Christmas Eve, Pompeo had posted an image of himself playing cards in the kitchen. In the caption, he had promised to “do better tomorrow on Christmas!”
Reached by phone for his impression, Pompeo said he wished he “had stuck to that.”
“As a former CIA chief, I should’ve known better,” Pompeo admitted. “I mean, I have survived three years of a Trump presidency. That’s a [expletive] three years!”
Long known as a faithful subordinate, Pompeo has outlasted many fellow-White House officials since 2016. Formerly, he has been described by his staff as “a heat-seeking missile for Trump’s ass,” according to The New Yorker. He may have finally missed.
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