President Trump criticized “obstructionist” members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Monday over opposition to CIA Director Mike Pompeo’s nomination to lead the State Department.
“Hard to believe Obstructionists May vote against Mike Pompeo for Secretary of State. The Dems will not approve hundreds of good people, including the Ambassador to Germany. They are maxing out the time on approval process for all, never happened before. Need more Republicans!” Trump tweeted Monday morning.
Hard to believe Obstructionists May vote against Mike Pompeo for Secretary of State. The Dems will not approve hundreds of good people, including the Ambassador to Germany. They are maxing out the time on approval process for all, never happened before. Need more Republicans!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 23, 2018
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Democrats on the committee announced Sunday they will not support Pompeo for secretary of state when they vote Monday evening.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said earlier Monday that Democrats are playing with fire by not approving Trump’s top diplomat.
“They have to decide that they want to put the safety and the security and the diplomacy of our country ahead of their own political games, and we’re very hopeful that they will,” Sanders told Fox News.
Sanders added that past secretaries of state nominated by both Democratic and Republican presidents were unanimously approved.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell could still bring Pompeo’s nomination to a floor vote and is expected to do so later in the week even if the committee vote fails Monday.
