Never Give an Inch
Fighting for the America I Love
Book Edition Details
Summary
Amid the turbulent seas of global politics, former Secretary of State and CIA Director Mike Pompeo navigates the Trump Administration's boldest foreign policy ventures with unyielding resolve. In "Never Give an Inch," Pompeo unveils the intricate dance of diplomacy and strategy that reshaped America's global standing, detailing his frontline experiences with humor and unflinching candor. From exerting unprecedented pressure on Iran to crafting an uneasy peace with North Korea, his narrative captures the pulse of a nation’s quest for international dominance. Driven by unwavering principles and a deep-rooted faith, Pompeo's account is not just a chronicle of triumphs and trials but a compelling blueprint for future leaders. As the world faces complex geopolitical challenges, this is an essential read for anyone seeking to understand the delicate art of statesmanship and the relentless pursuit of national interest.
Introduction
In the secure briefing rooms where America's most consequential foreign policy decisions are forged, few have witnessed the raw mechanics of global competition as intimately as those who served during one of the most transformative periods in modern diplomatic history. From tense negotiations with nuclear-armed dictators to quiet conversations that would reshape entire regions, these years revealed how quickly international dynamics can shift when traditional assumptions about American leadership are challenged and reimagined. This extraordinary account illuminates three critical questions that define our current moment: How do authoritarian powers like China and Iran actually operate behind their diplomatic facades? What happens when America abandons decades of accommodation in favor of strategic confrontation? And perhaps most importantly, how do personal relationships between world leaders alter the trajectory of global events in ways that formal diplomatic channels cannot? Through unprecedented access to classified briefings, private conversations with foreign leaders, and the decision-making processes that shaped America's response to rising threats, readers gain invaluable insights into how modern statecraft actually works. For students of international relations seeking to understand the gap between diplomatic theory and practice, policymakers grappling with similar challenges today, and citizens concerned about America's role in an increasingly dangerous world, these revelations offer both sobering warnings and practical wisdom. The lessons contained within speak directly to anyone who believes that American leadership, properly exercised, remains essential for preserving freedom and prosperity in an age of great power competition.
Rebuilding American Credibility: Early Intelligence and Diplomatic Foundations (2017-2018)
The transformation of American foreign policy began not with grand diplomatic gestures, but in the shadowy corridors of Langley, where America's premier intelligence agency had grown dangerously risk-averse under previous leadership. When new leadership arrived at the CIA in January 2017, they discovered an organization paralyzed by bureaucratic caution and political correctness, where the very essence of intelligence work had been diluted by endless committee approvals and sensitivity training. The challenge was immediate and existential: North Korea was accelerating its nuclear program, Iran was spreading chaos across the Middle East, and China was quietly eroding American advantages while the intelligence community focused on process over results. The solution required a fundamental cultural shift from defensive crouch to offensive posture. By empowering seasoned operators who understood that America's survival depended on those willing to take calculated risks, the agency began rebuilding capabilities that had atrophied during years of political interference. This wasn't merely organizational restructuring but a restoration of the bold spirit that had once defined American intelligence work, establishing the foundation for everything that would follow. The early diplomatic challenges revealed the extent to which America's adversaries had grown comfortable with American weakness. Russia's interference in democratic processes, China's military buildup in the South China Sea, and Iran's expanding proxy networks all demonstrated that years of engagement without credible deterrence had emboldened rather than moderated hostile regimes. The intelligence community's assessments painted a sobering picture of declining American influence and growing threats to core national interests. This period established the template for a fundamentally different approach to American leadership. By rebuilding intelligence capabilities and restoring a culture of excellence over process, the groundwork was laid for the diplomatic breakthroughs and strategic victories that would define the years ahead. The lesson was unmistakable: in international relations, as in intelligence work, the cautious rarely prevail against the bold, and America's enemies respect strength far more than good intentions.
Maximum Pressure and Strategic Confrontation: Iran, North Korea, and Rising Tensions (2018-2020)
The spring of 2018 marked a decisive turning point when American foreign policy shifted from accommodation to confrontation with the world's most dangerous regimes. The withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal represented far more than a campaign promise fulfilled; it was the opening move in a comprehensive strategy to roll back decades of Iranian aggression through unprecedented economic pressure and diplomatic isolation. Rather than the military confrontation many predicted, the administration deployed what became known as maximum pressure, a coordinated effort to strangle the regime's finances while building coalitions between former enemies. The results were dramatic and swift. Iran's oil exports plummeted from 2.5 million barrels per day to a mere trickle, while the regime's GDP was effectively cut in half, forcing significant cutbacks in terrorist funding across the Middle East. This economic warfare demonstrated that American financial power, properly wielded, could achieve what military force alone could not. The strategy succeeded in weakening Iran's capacity for regional mischief while avoiding the costs and risks of direct military confrontation. Simultaneously, the North Korean challenge demanded a completely different approach. Where previous administrations had relied on endless multilateral talks that only bought time for Pyongyang's weapons programs, the new strategy combined crushing sanctions with direct leader-to-leader diplomacy. The unprecedented summits with Kim Jong Un represented the kind of calculated risk-taking that had been absent from American statecraft for decades, demonstrating that strength and engagement could coexist when backed by credible deterrence. These parallel campaigns established a new paradigm in American foreign policy: the willingness to abandon failed approaches and embrace creative solutions, even when they challenged diplomatic orthodoxy. The message to adversaries was unmistakable that the era of American passivity had ended, and the price of aggression would be higher than ever before. More importantly, these efforts proved that American leadership, when exercised with clarity and purpose, could still reshape global dynamics in favor of stability and peace.
Great Power Competition: China, Russia, and the Abraham Accords Breakthrough (2019-2021)
The confrontation with great power rivals required a fundamentally different approach than dealing with rogue states, demanding both strategic patience and tactical boldness as America faced adversaries with significant economic and military capabilities. Russia's Vladimir Putin had spent years probing American resolve, from the annexation of Crimea to interference in democratic processes, calculating that Western leaders lacked the will to impose meaningful consequences for aggression. The response came through a combination of military deterrence and economic warfare that Putin hadn't experienced since the Cold War. When Russian mercenaries tested American resolve in Syria, the devastating counterattack sent an unmistakable message about the costs of miscalculation. Meanwhile, comprehensive sanctions targeted not just Russian entities but the entire network of oligarchs and enablers who sustained Putin's kleptocracy, while military aid to Ukraine provided weapons that would later prove crucial in resisting invasion. These actions demonstrated that American power, when properly applied, could still alter adversary calculations and impose real costs for aggressive behavior. China presented an even more complex challenge, requiring a complete rethinking of the relationship that had defined American strategy for decades. The recognition that economic engagement had not produced political liberalization, but rather strengthened an authoritarian rival, demanded a comprehensive response across trade, technology, and military domains. The closure of Chinese consulates and expulsion of intelligence operatives signaled that the era of accommodation had ended, while trade negotiations sought to address decades of unfair practices that had disadvantaged American workers and industries. The period's greatest diplomatic triumph came through the Abraham Accords, which achieved what decades of traditional diplomacy had failed to accomplish. By abandoning the failed paradigm of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and instead building on shared interests in confronting Iranian aggression, historic peace agreements were brokered that fundamentally reshaped Middle Eastern geopolitics. This success demonstrated that American leadership, when grounded in realistic assessments of regional dynamics rather than wishful thinking, could still produce breakthrough diplomatic achievements.
Lessons for Future American Leadership: Strength, Alliances, and Strategic Adaptation
The experiences of this transformative period offer enduring insights about the requirements for effective American leadership in an era of sustained great power competition. Perhaps most importantly, they demonstrate that American influence depends not merely on military capabilities or economic resources, but on the demonstrated willingness to use these tools decisively when core interests are threatened. The success of maximum pressure campaigns and the deterrent effect of targeted military actions proved that adversaries respond to demonstrated resolve rather than diplomatic rhetoric alone. The period also revealed the continuing importance of personal relationships in international affairs, even in an age of institutional diplomacy and multilateral frameworks. Direct engagement between leaders, whether with allies or adversaries, often proved more effective than traditional diplomatic channels in achieving breakthrough agreements or preventing dangerous miscalculations. This reality suggests that future American leaders must invest personally in understanding foreign counterparts and building relationships that transcend immediate policy disagreements. Alliance relationships during this era reflected a more realistic approach that prioritized burden-sharing and mutual benefit over traditional diplomatic courtesies. The insistence that NATO allies increase defense spending, while initially controversial, ultimately succeeded in generating significant additional resources for collective defense. Similarly, trade relationships were renegotiated to address longstanding imbalances, demonstrating that partnerships could be strengthened through more equitable arrangements rather than one-sided American generosity. Perhaps most significantly, these years demonstrated that America's greatest strategic advantage lies not in any single policy or capability, but in the nation's capacity for self-correction and adaptation. The willingness to acknowledge failed policies and pursue dramatically different approaches despite international criticism reflected a democratic system's ability to learn from experience and adjust course when circumstances demand fundamental change in strategic direction.
Summary
The central thread running through this extraordinary period was the recognition that in a world of competing sovereignties, only strength preserves peace and prosperity, while accommodation breeds aggression and instability. The fundamental mistake of previous decades had been the assumption that American restraint would be reciprocated by adversaries, when in fact it only encouraged greater risk-taking by those who viewed such restraint as weakness to be exploited. This period proved that deterrence requires not just capability but demonstrated resolve, as adversaries must believe that crossing certain lines will result in unacceptable consequences. The restoration of American credibility required abandoning comfortable illusions about the nature of authoritarian regimes and confronting the reality that powers like China, Russia, and Iran were engaged in a long-term struggle to undermine the international order that had served democratic values so well. This meant not just rebuilding military capabilities but also restoring the will to use economic and diplomatic tools decisively, even when such actions challenged the preferences of allies or the conventional wisdom of foreign policy establishments. The lessons for today's leaders are both clear and urgent: alliances built on mutual benefit and shared sacrifice prove more durable than those based on one-sided generosity, while international approval matters far less than the concrete results that protect American lives and interests. In an era of renewed great power competition, America cannot afford leaders who mistake diplomatic process for strategic success, or who prioritize the comfort of international consensus over the hard work of defending national interests in an increasingly dangerous world.
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By Mike Pompeo
