Pompeo in Iowa: ‘Time to Go Crush It,’ 'Retake' America

DES MOINES, Iowa — Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told a gathering of about 100 conservatives in north Des Moines on Friday morning that their beliefs are under “assault,” but they can “retake” their country by getting engaged now.

“There is an assault on the ideas you all got up to come work hard for — and the candidates you all are working hard for,” Pompeo said in a speech and question-and-answer session for which he earned a standing ovation at both ends.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meets with conservatives in Des Moines, Iowa.

“It’s your values that they just don’t like,” Pompeo said.

We said this beautiful prayer this morning, we pledged allegiance to our flag — we’re in a whiskey joint,” Pompeo said to laughs from the crowd.

You got outside influences and people who were telling us our founding — they tell us our founding was just wrong.

They said ‘a more perfect union’ — we get it, there’s always work to do and it’s a rambunctious country — that’s okay.

If you all will be fearless in the same way President Trump and I were fearless — some of them will give you a hard time, none of this is free, some people will have different views — but just be gracious, be kind, smile, then let it rip.

“My first election was for the homeowners association board — a pure demonstration that I am nuts,” Pompeo joked.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meets with conservatives in Des Moines, Iowa.

In a broader conversation during the question-and-answer session about the left’s efforts to infect American youth with radical ideologies like Critical Race Theory, Pompeo urged people to fight back even more — and joked that faculty tenure is easy enough to get around.

Tenure is interesting, I know how to deal with tenure — I had to deal with it in the State Department,” Pompeo said.

It’s Pompeo.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks to conservatives in Des Moines, Iowa!