Pompeo says counterpart Sushma Swaraj was not 'important' but hit it off with Jaishankar
Washington, Jan 25: Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said he never saw his counterpart Sushma Swaraj as an "important political player" but got along famously with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, hitting it off with him in their first meeting itself.
In his latest book 'Never Give an Inch: Fighting for the America I Love' that hit the stores on Tuesday, Pompeo describes Swaraj somewhat disparagingly, using the American slang words "goofball" and "heartland political hack" for her.
Swaraj served as external affairs minister in the first Modi government from May 2014 to May 2019. She died in August 2019.
"On the Indian side, my original counterpart was not an important player on the Indian foreign policy team. Instead, I worked much more closely with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, a close and trusted confidant of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," 59-year-old Pompeo writes in his book.
A confidant of then US president Donald Trump, Pompeo was the CIA Director in his administration from 2017 to 2018 and then served as the Secretary of State from 2018 to 2021.
"My second Indian counterpart was Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. In May 2019, we welcomed "J" as India's new foreign minister. I could not have asked for a better counterpart. I love this guy. English is one of the seven languages he speaks, and his is somewhat better than mine," writes the former top American diplomat, who is now exploring the possibility of a 2024 presidential run.
"Professional, rational, and a fierce defender of his boss and his country," is how Pompeo described Jaishankar.
"We hit it off immediately. In our first meeting, I was bemoaning, in very diplomatic speech, that his predecessor had not been particularly helpful," he said.
"He (Jaishankar) said that he could see why I had trouble with his predecessor, a goofball and a heartland political hack. "Careful, I'm a heartland political hack!" I replied in jest. He laughed, noting that if that were true, it would make me the first heartland political hack who had ever been an editor on the Harvard Law Review. Well played, J," Pompeo said. J here stands for Jaishankar.
Commenting on Pompeo's claims, Jaishankar told PTI, "I have seen a passage in Secretary Pompeo's book referring to Smt Sushma Swaraj ji. I always held her in great esteem and had an exceptionally close and warm relationship with her. I deplore the disrespectful colloquialism used for her."
In his book, Pompeo also says American neglect of India was a decades-long bipartisan failure.
"We are natural allies, as we share a history of democracy, a common language, and ties of people and technology. India is also a market with enormous demand for American intellectual property and products. These factors, plus its strategic location in South Asia, made India the fulcrum of my diplomacy to counteract Chinese aggression," he writes.
"In my mind, a counter-China bloc made up of the United States, India, Japan, Australia, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the European Union would have an economic weight at least three times that of China. I chose to devote serious quantities of time and effort to help make India the next great American ally," Pompeo says.
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Mann Ki Baat: PM Modi says 2025 year of proud milestones for India
New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said 2025 was a year of proud milestones for India as he highlighted Operation Sindoor, saying it became a symbol of pride for every Indian and showed the world that the country does not compromise on its security.
Addressing his monthly 'Mann Ki Baat' address, the last in 2025, Modi said the country's impact was visible everywhere in the outgoing year.
"2025 was a year of proud milestones for India. Whether in national security, sports, scientific innovation or on the world's biggest platforms, India's impact was visible everywhere," he said.
The prime minister said during Operation Sindoor, images of love and devotion toward 'Maa Bharti' (Mother India) emerged from every corner of the nation and people expressed their emotions and gratitude in their own unique ways.
"Operation Sindoor' became a symbol of pride for every Indian. The world witnessed clearly that today's India does not compromise on its security," he said.
India carried out precision strikes under Operation Sindoor on terror infrastructure in Pakistan on May 7 in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.
India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end the military confrontation.
Modi said the same spirit was witnessed when national song 'Vande Mataram' completed 150 years.
"I had urged you to share your messages and suggestions using the hashtag '#VandeMataram150', and our fellow citizens participated in this campaign with immense enthusiasm," he said.
The prime minister noted that 2025 has truly been a memorable year for sports, with the men's cricket team clinching the ICC Champions Trophy and the women's cricket team winning the World Cup for the first time.
Besides, India's daughters scripted history by winning the Women's Blind T20 World Cup.
The tricolour flew high with pride after a dominant victory in the Asia Cup T20 and para-athletes brought home a haul of medals at the World Championships, he said. Modi also said that India has taken a giant leap in the field of science and space, and Shubhanshu Shukla became the first Indian to reach the International Space Station.
Today, he said, the world looks toward India with great hope and the biggest reason for this expectation is the country's Youth Power.
"Nations across the globe are deeply impressed by our achievements in science, constant innovations, and the expansion of technology," he said.
The prime minister said the number of cheetahs in India has increased to more than 30 in 2025.
Taking note of various events held during the year, he said in 2025, faith, culture, and India's unique heritage all came together.
"The Prayagraj Mahakumbh organised at the beginning of the year astonished the entire world. At the end of the year, the 'Dhwajarohan' ceremony at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya filled every Indian with pride," he said.
Modi said the excitement towards 'swadeshi' was also evident among one and all and people are purchasing only those goods that bear the sweat of an Indian and the fragrance of Indian soil.
"Today, we can proudly say that 2025 has given India even greater confidence. It is also true that this year we had to face natural disasters at very many places. Now, the country is ready to move forward in 2026 with new hopes and new resolutions," he added.
In the 129th edition of Mann Ki Baat, PM Narendra Modi says, "2025 was also a memorable year in terms of sports. Our Men's Cricket team won the ICC Champions' Trophy. The women's cricket team won the World Cup for the first time. The daughters of Bharat created history by winning… pic.twitter.com/iXRGLaPdyK
— ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2025
