Pompeo to join conservative think tank Hudson Institute

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is taking a role at the conservative Hudson Institute, providing him a platform to remain involved in policy discussions ahead of a possible 2024 presidential bid.

The institute said in a statement that Pompeo will come on as a distinguished fellow.

“I am pleased to be joining Hudson Institute and look forward to contributing to its mission of promoting American leadership and global engagement,” said Pompeo.

Sarah May Stern, chairwoman of the Hudson Institute’s board of trustees, said Pompeo’s “exemplary record of public service and his commitment to the values underpinning our mission makes this an exciting opportunity for collaboration.”

“It’s a great privilege to welcome him to Hudson,” Stern added.

Pompeo, who represented Kansas’s 4th Congressional District in the House for three terms and served as CIA director before heading the State Department, is widely viewed as having presidential aspirations and is one of several possible Republican 2024 contenders. A spot at the Hudson Institute will keep him in the mix in policy discussions in the interim before the next presidential race.

Should he run, Pompeo will likely face a crowded primary field of candidates running to replace Donald Trump as the leader of the Republican Parry, assuming the former president doesn’t run himself.

The Hudson Institute has emerged as a force in GOP politics, crafting or greenlighting many of the policies that are now popular in the party. It also hosts prominent Republicans such as Jon Lerner, a strategist who’s worked with former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley and former Vice President Pence.

The institute announced earlier this week that former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao was joining the think tank as a distinguished fellow. She will lead a public policy program centered around labor and transportation policy.

–Updated at 9:29 a.m.