President Trump on Thursday lauded his pick for secretary of state as someone who’s been successful “at whatever he has done,” while criticizing Democrats for “slow-walking” the confirmations of people who wish to devote “a big portion of their life” to serve in government.
“Mike Pompeo is outstanding. First in his class at West Point. A top student at Harvard Law School. A success at whatever he has done. We need the Senate to approve Mike ASAP,” Trump said of the current CIA director, whom he nominated last month to replace ousted Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
“Democrats are obstructing good (hopefully great) people wanting to give up a big portion of their life to work for our Government, hence, the American People,” the president tweeted earlier Thursday. “They are ‘slow walking’ all of my nominations – hundreds of people. At this rate it would take nine years for all approvals!”
Trump’s criticism came minutes after Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota became the only Democrat so far to back Pompeo for secretary of state, a decision that moved his confirmation closer toward being guaranteed.
“Pompeo demonstrated during this nomination process and during our meeting in March that he is committed to empowering the diplomats at the State Department so they can do their jobs in advancing American interests,” she said in a statement.
Seven of the remaining Senate Democrats who previously voted to confirm Pompeo for CIA director remain undecided on whether they will back him for the top diplomatic post.
Pompeo will need at least 51 votes to be confirmed to the position and already lacks two Republicans: Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who has vowed to vote against his confirmation over policy disagreements, and Sen. John McCain of Arizona, who will be absent for a floor vote to confirm Pompeo due to cancer treatment.
