CIA Director Pompeo Is Officially Short Of The Votes Needed To Clear The Senate Foreign Relations Committee To Be Secretary Of State

Mike Pompeo, the C.I.A. director, has made a case to President Trump that Obama-era restrictions on drone strikes needlessly limit the United States’ ability to fight terrorism. Credit Al Drago/The New York Times

The Hill: Pompeo lacks votes for positive vote on panel

CIA Director Mike Pompeo is officially short of the votes needed to clear the Senate Foreign Relations Committee next week.

Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) said Friday that “after carful consideration” he will oppose Pompeo’s nomination to lead the State Department.

“I remain concerned that Director Pompeo will not challenge the President in critical moments,” he said in a statement.

“On vital decisions facing our country, Director Pompeo seems less concerned with rule of law and partnership with our allies and more inclined to emphasize unilateral action and the use of force,” he added.

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Update #1: Mike Pompeo now lacks enough support for favorable committee vote (NBC)
Update #2: Pompeo is close to confirmation and 11 senators are close to making a colossal mistake (Marc Thiessen, FOX News)
Update #3: Mike Pompeo Will Probably Be Confirmed As Secretary Of State, But He Shouldn’t Be (Doug Mataconis, Outside the Beltway)

WNU Editor: If CIA Director Mike Pompeo fails to clear the Senate Foreign Relations Committee next week .... it will be the first time that a U.S. Secretary of State nominee has failed to be approved.

Did The White House Leak CIA Director Pompeo's Secret Trip To North Korea?

Representative Mike Pompeo (R-KS) testifies before a Senate Intelligence hearing on his nomination to head the CIA on Capitol Hill in Washington January 12, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Louis Nelson and Eliana Johnson, Politico: White House hypes North Korea trip to boost Pompeo’s image

The CIA director is facing a narrow Senate confirmation vote to be Trump's next top diplomat, and supporters say the high-stakes trip proves he can handle the job.

The White House on Wednesday cast CIA Director Mike Pompeo’s meeting with North Korea’s leader as evidence of his qualification to be President Donald Trump’s top diplomat, putting a political spin on his act of high-stakes nuclear diplomacy.

Word of the trip, arranged to discuss an upcoming summit between Trump and Kim Jong Un, leaked on Tuesday in the midst of the White House’s effort to ensure Pompeo’s confirmation as secretary of state. Trump has tapped Pompeo to replace the ousted Rex Tillerson, but his fate in a narrowly divided Senate is uncertain.

The revelation was timed to shore up Pompeo’s image as a diplomat capable of executing sensitive negotiations on the president’s behalf, according to a senior administration official—and to undermine Democratic efforts to portray him as a warmonger unsuited to lead the country’s diplomatic corps.

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WNU Editor: The first thing that struck me about yesterday's announcement on CIA Director Mike Pompeo traveling secretly to North Korea to meet Kim Jung-Un was how well they kept this secret. Unlike the beginning of the year when the intel community was leaking everything .... there have been no leaks for a long time, a testament to CIA Director Pompeo in cleaning up house and putting his own people in positions of power to insure that there will be no more leaks. The second thing that I then thought about was that this was a deliberate leak .... probably from President Trump himself .... to shore up the stature of CIA Director Mike Pompeo so that he can be easily approved by the Senate for the US Secretary of State post. Will this work .... I do not know. Pompeo has his opponents .... in both parties .... but this will probably help him with Democrats who may have been inclined to vote against him before this announcement.

CIA Director Pompeo Confirmed That 'Hundreds' Of Russians Were Killed By U.S. Forces In An Attack In Syria A Few Weeks Ago

Time: President Trump's Pick for Secretary of State Just Confirmed 'Hundreds' of Russians Were Killed in a U.S. Attack in Syria

President Trump’s nominee to serve as Secretary of State confirmed Thursday that “a couple hundred Russians were killed” by U.S. forces in Syria earlier this year.

Mike Pompeo, who currently serves as CIA director, offered the confirmation in response to questions about the U.S. relationship with Russia. The February attack by U.S. special forces — acknowledged at the time by Russian and Syrian officials but until now unconfirmed by the U.S. — targeted pro-government Syrian forces who were working alongside Russian mercenaries.

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More News On CIA Director Pompeo's Confirmation That 'Hundreds' Of Russians Were Killed By U.S. Forces In An Attack In Syria A Few Weeks Ago

Pompeo confirms 'a couple hundred' Russians killed in Syria -- The Hill
We killed 'a couple hundred Russians' in air assault in Syria: CIA boss reveals details of raid on Moscow mercenaries in February as tension with Putin mounts -- Daily Mail
Mike Pompeo tells Senate hearing US has already killed Russians in Syria -- The Australian/WSJ
US Military Killed 'A Couple Hundred' Russians In Syria Airstrikes, Pompeo Says As Trump Considers New Attack -- Newsweek
Pompeo Confirms U.S. Forces Killed Russian Mercenaries -- Washington Free Beacon
Pompeo: Killing Hundreds of Russians a Key Achievement in Countering Moscow -- Sputnik

U.S. State Secretary Nominee Mike Pompeo: No More Soft Policy Toward Russia

As he prepared for his Senate confirmation hearing, Mike Pompeo, the current director of the C.I.A., reached out to former diplomats, including the last two Democratic secretaries of state. Credit Lawrence Jackson for The New York Times

New York Times: Pompeo Vows to Embrace Diplomacy, but Pledges Tougher Line on Russia

WASHINGTON — The calls were placed quietly to top American diplomats who had resigned in droves over the past year. The message: Mike Pompeo, nominated to become the next secretary of state, wanted them back.

Mr. Pompeo, currently the director of the C.I.A., also telephoned Hillary Clinton and John Kerry, the last two Democrats to run the State Department. The gestures — the likes of which Rex W. Tillerson, President Trump’s first secretary of state, bypassed — were similarly well received by career diplomats in the run-up to what is expected to be a contentious confirmation hearing for Mr. Pompeo.

On Thursday, Mr. Pompeo’s charm offensive will face its greatest test as he testifies in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

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WNU Editor: The U.S. has been pursuing a "soft policy" towards Russia?!?!?

More News On U.S. State Secretary Nominee Mike Pompeo Pledge That There Will No longer Be A Soft Policy Toward Russia

Pompeo to signal tough line on Moscow in Cabinet nomination hearing -- Reuters
Mike Pompeo to tell Senate soft US policy on Russia 'now over' -- The Guardian
Mike Pompeo to testify in confirmation hearing: 'Soft policy' toward Russian aggression 'now over' -- Washington Examiner
Mike Pompeo, Trump's pick for secretary of state, to tell senators years of soft US policy toward Russia 'now over' -- FOX News
Pompeo to call Russia ‘a danger to our country’ in testimony: report -- The Hill
Trump’s pick for State Secretary Pompeo says no more soft policy toward Russia -- RT

BBC Interviews CIA Director Mike Pompeo

BBC: Russia 'will target US mid-term elections' says CIA chief

The director of the CIA expects that Russia will target the US mid-term elections later this year.

Mike Pompeo told the BBC there had been no significant diminishing of Russian attempts at subversion in Europe and the US.

He also said North Korea may have the ability to strike the US with nuclear missiles "in a handful of months".

The US intelligence community has said that it believes Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election.

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CIA Director Mike Pompeo's Remarks On Russia

Russia is aiming to interfere in US midterm elections, warns CIA chief -- The Guardian
CIA Director Expects Russia Will Try to Target U.S. Mid-Term Elections -- Reuters
CIA chief: 'I have every expectation' that Russia will try to influence midterms -- The Hill
Russia will target US midterm elections, CIA director Mike Pompeo says -- ABC News Online
Pompeo: 'I have every expectation' Russia will meddle in 2018 midterms -- Politico
CIA director: US will retaliate if Russia targets the midterm elections -- Washington Examiner

CIA Director Mike Pompeo's Remarks On China

CIA chief says China 'as big a threat to US' as Russia -- BBC
CIA Director Mike Pompeo says China 'as big a threat to US' as Russia -- Geo News
China is as much of a danger to the US and Western Europe as Russia is, says CIA chief -- Scroll
China As Big A Threat To US As Russia: Says Central Intelligence Agency -- NDTV

CIA Director Mike Pompeo's Remarks On North Korea

CIA chief Mike Pompeo: N. Korea could be able to nuke U.S. in "handful of months" -- CBS
North Korea will be able to hit the US with nuclear weapons in a 'handful of months', CIA director warns -- Daily Mail
CIA concerned North Korea could hit US with a missile in a 'handful of months' -- The Independent

Other Remarks By CIA Director Mike Pompeo

CIA chief: We will steal secrets on behalf of the American people -- International Business Times
'I do the truth': CIA director somehow keeps straight face in softball BBC interview -- RT

CIA Director Mike Pompeo Talks About North Korea

Bloomberg: CIA Director Says North Korea Seeks Arsenal for ‘Coercive’ Purposes

* Kim won’t rest after one successful weapons test, Pompeo says
* Trump has shown keen interest in Venezuela, Yemen: Pompeo

CIA Director Mike Pompeo said Kim Jong Un’s regime wants to use its budding arsenal for “coercive” purposes, dismissing North Korea’s contention that it needs a nuclear missile program to enhance its defense against a possible U.S. attack.

Pompeo also said that despite Pyongyang’s rapidly improving missile and nuclear programs over the past year, Kim “will not rest with a single successful test.”

“The logical next step is to develop an arsenal” of missiles capable of striking the U.S., Pompeo said in a rare public appearance Tuesday at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington. “They have moved at a very rapid clip.”

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WNU Editor: No surprises here.

More News On CIA Director Mike Pompeo's Remarks At The American Enterprise Institute in Washington

CIA believes N.Korea weapons aimed at coercion, not just defense: Pompeo (Reuters)
CIA: North Korea intent on building reliable nuclear arsenal (AFP)
CIA: North Korea moving 'ever closer' to putting US at risk (AP)
CIA Boss Gives Latest Indication Trump Is Considering Preemptive Strike on North Korea (Daily Beast)
CIA Director Mike Pompeo: Trump asks 'sophisticated questions' during intelligence briefings (Washington Examiner)

CIA Director Mike Pompeo Was On The Sunday Morning Talk Shows

Reuters: CIA's Pompeo Says Russia and Others Trying to Undermine U.S. Elections

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The head of the Central Intelligence Agency said on Sunday that Russia and others are trying to undermine elections in the United States, the next major one being in November when Republicans will try to keep control of Congress.

U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election to try to help President Donald Trump win, in part by hacking and releasing emails embarrassing to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and spreading social media propaganda.

CIA Director Mike Pompeo told CBS that the Russian interference is longstanding, and continues. Asked on "Face the Nation" if Moscow is currently trying to undermine U.S. elections, Pompeo responded: "Yes sir, have been for decades."

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More News On CIA Director Mike Pompeo Being On The Sunday Morning Talk Shows

Transcript: CIA Director Mike Pompeo on "Face the Nation," Jan. 7, 2018 -- CBS
Pompeo: North Korea's talks with South Korea not likely to lead to any change on nuclear issue -- The Hill
North Korea behaving out of fear, says CIA Director Michael Pompeo -- Financial Express
CIA Director Believes DPRK Could Threaten US Cities in a Few Months -- Sputnik International
CIA director defends Trump's mental abilities -- CNN
CIA director pushes back on claim in Wolff book: Trump reads -- The Hill
CIA Director Believes DPRK Could Threaten US Cities in a Few Months -- Sputnik

CIA Director Mike Pompeo: 'President Trump Tweets Help Us'

Defense News: CIA director: Trump tweets help us

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump’s tweetstorm in the wake of the guilty plea by his former national security adviser Michael Flynn again raised concerns about the commander in chief’s frequent use of the social media platform.

But on Saturday, CIA Director Mike Pompeo insisted Trump’s prolific use of Twitter is actually helping his agency gather valuable intelligence.

“I have actually seen it help us,” Pompeo said, when asked at the Reagan National Security Forum on Saturday whether Trump’s social media activity was making his job harder.

“I have seen things the president has put on his Twitter account actually have a real-world impact on our ability to understand things that are happening in other places in the world,” Pompeo said.

“That is, our adversaries responding to those tweets in ways that were helpful to us, to understand command and control issues, who’s listening to what messages, how those messages are resonating around the world,” Pompeo said.

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Update: CIA Director Pompeo: Trump's Tweeting Has Actually Helped Us (Debra Heine, PJ Media)

WNU Editor: I do not know how it helps the CIA .... but as a consumer of news and one who follows what the U.S. government does, I do enjoy having this type of access.

CIA Director Mike Pompeo Discusses Iran

CIA Director Mike Pompeo speaks at the FDD National Security Summit in Washington, October 19, 2017.

CNBC: US spies can make it harder to do business with Iran. Here's how, says CIA chief Mike Pompeo

* The United States should make it more expensive for Iran to engage in "adventurism" in the Middle East, CIA Director Mike Pompeo said Thursday.
* The intelligence community is trying and struggling to expose Iranian companies with ties to the nation's sanctioned security forces.

The U.S. intelligence community and Treasury Department can make it harder for Iran to meddle in regional affairs by exposing Iranian businesses that have ties to the nation's elite security force, CIA Director Mike Pompeo and National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster said on Thursday.

Their comments suggest the investment climate in Iran could become more challenging just as foreign firms seek to build or restore ties in the country following the lifting of sanctions last year.

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More News On CIA Director Mike Pompeo Discussing National Security Issues

CIA Director: Iran deal 'failed' to permanently block Tehran's path to nukes -- Jerusalem Post
CIA Director Confirms Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander Was In Kirkuk -- Daily Caller
CIA to publish documents revealing Iran's relations with al-Qaeda -- Al Arabiya
Pompeo: Al-Qaeda-Iran Connection an "Open Secret" -- The Weekly Standard

U.S. Intelligence Officials: North Korea Months Away From Being Able To Hit US With A Nuclear Missile

VOA: US: North Korea Months Away From Being Able to Hit US with Nuclear Missile

WASHINGTON — North Korea is likely just months away from being capable of striking the United States with a nuclear missile, according to two top U.S. officials.

CIA Director Mike Pompeo told a forum in Washington on Thursday he is "deeply worried" about the advancing threat from North Korea and the possibility it could spark a nuclear arms race across East Asia.

"We ought to behave as if we are on the cusp of them achieving that objective," Pompeo said when asked about Pyongyang's pursuit of missile technology that could launch a warhead to targets in the U.S.

"They are so far along in that it's now a matter of thinking about how do you stop the final step?" he added.

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More News ON The CIA Believing That North Korea Is Only Months Away From Being Able To Hit US With A Nuclear Missile

CIA head: North Korea months from perfecting nuclear capabilities -- Chicago Tribune/AP
Pompeo warns of North Korea's nuclear advances -- CBS
North Korea 'months' away from strike range on US, says CIA head -- Financial Times
North Korea 'months' away from capability to nuke US, CIA Director Mike Pompeo says -- Washington Examiner
US preparing for North Korea's 'final step' -- CNN

CIA Director: 'Al Qaeda's Days Are Numbered'

FOX News: CIA Dir. to Al Qaeda on 9/11: 'If I Were Them I'd Count My Days'

CIA Director Mike Pompeo issued a warning to the Al Qaeda leadership 16 years after members of the terrorist group attacked the United States on 9/11.

"If I were them, I'd count my days," Pompeo said.

He said the CIA is "working diligently" to find the current supposed leaders of the organization, Usama bin Laden's son Hamza and former Usama confidant Ayman al-Zawahiri.

Pompeo said Al Qaeda's senior leadership is weaker than it was in 2001, but that the heightened threat from radical Islam remains due to groups like ISIS and Ansar al Sharia.

"The enemy gets a choice about whether this is over, and today, they have not concluded that they're defeated," he said.

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Update #1: Pompeo on Search for Senior Al Qaeda Leaders: 'If I Were Them, I Would Count My Days' (Washington Free Beacon)
Update #2: CIA chief: Senior al-Qaeda leaders' days are numbered (The Hill)

WNU Editor:  I am not sure if Al Qaeda's "days are numbered". It has been 16 years since 9/11, and they are still alive.

No More Anonymous Leaks From The CIA

Representative Mike Pompeo (R-KS) testifies before a Senate Intelligence hearing on his nomination to head the CIA on Capitol Hill in Washington January 12, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Washington Post: At CIA, a watchful eye on Mike Pompeo, the president’s ardent ally

As CIA director, Mike Pompeo has taken a special interest in an agency unit that is closely tied to the investigation into possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign, requiring the Counterintelligence Mission Center to report directly to him.

Officials at the center have, in turn, kept a watchful eye on Pompeo, who has repeatedly played down Russia’s interference in the 2016 election and demonstrated a willingness to engage in political skirmishes for President Trump.

Current and former officials said that the arrangement has been a source of apprehension among the CIA’s upper ranks and that they could not recall a time in the agency’s history when a director faced a comparable conflict.

“Pompeo is in a delicate situation unlike any other director has faced, certainly in my memory,” said Rolf Mowatt-Larssen, a CIA official for 23 years who served in Russia and held high-level positions at headquarters, “because of his duty to protect and provide the truth to an independent investigation while maintaining his role with the president.”

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WNU Editor: CIA Director Mike Pompeo is doing what any senior manager would be doing in a large organisation .... he is managing it. Since his appointment as CIA Director .... leaks from his department have all but disappeared. Is this the reason why the Washington Post is critical of the CIA Director .... the impression that I am getting from the Washington Post is that the answer is a big yes.

CIA Director Mike Pompeo Hints That The U.S. Wants Regime Change In North Korea

CNN: CIA chief signals desire for regime change in North Korea

Washington (CNN)CIA Director Mike Pompeo on Thursday evening offered some of the most aggressive comments yet from the Trump administration with regard to North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.

Although Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has in the past said the US was against forcing Kim out of power or the collapse of his government, Pompeo said that the administration needed to find a way to separate Kim from his growing nuclear stockpile.

"It would be a great thing to denuclearize the peninsula, to get those weapons off of that, but the thing that is most dangerous about it is the character who holds the control over them today," Pompeo said in a discussion moderated by conservative New York Times columnist Bret Stephens at the Aspen Security Forum.

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WNU Editor: If true .... this is a major shift away from what Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has been saying for the past few months.

CIA Director Mike Pompeo Hints That The U.S. Wants Regime Change In North Korea

The CIA director just dropped some heavy hints that the US is looking into regime change in North Korea -- Business Insider
CIA chief 'hopeful' for change in North Korea -- The Hill
CIA Director: The North Koreans Would Love To See Kim Jong Un Go -- Newsweek

CIA Director Mike Pompeo: 'Moscow Loves To ‘Stick It To America'

RT: ‘Russians find any place they can make our lives more difficult’ – CIA chief

CIA Director Mike Pompeo has downplayed Russia’s role in the Syrian operation, saying there is only “the most minimal evidence” that Russia is pursuing a serious strategy there.

US-Russian relations cannot be unambiguously characterized, the US intelligence chief said at the Aspen Security Forum on Thursday. While stating that the landscape in Syria has “fundamentally changed” since Russia entered into the country, he said that its interests are not the same as America’s.

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WNU Editor: Russia's foreign minister responds .... Lavrov: CIA Chief's Claims of Russian US Election Meddling Goes Beyond Reason (Sputnik).

More News On CIA Director Mike Pompeo

CIA director: Moscow loves to ‘stick it to America’ -- AP
‘Russians find any place they can make our lives more difficult’ – CIA chief -- RT
WikiLeaks wants to ‘take down America any way they can,’ says CIA chief -- Washington Times
CIA Director Pompeo slams NY Times for outing covert officer -- FOX News
CIA chief promises fundamental policy shift toward Iran -- Tehran Times
CIA Director Pompeo’s views on Wikileaks have apparently evolved -- MSNBC
CIA director: 'I don't love' Wikileaks -- The Hill
CIA Director Mike Pompeo: 'Of course' Russia interfered in the 2016 election, 'and the one before that' -- Washington Examiner
RT and Sputnik are thrifty but effective propaganda tools, says CIA head -- RT

CIA Director Mike Pompeo Is Interviewed By NBC

NBC: CIA Chief Pompeo: Trump Is a ‘Serious Consumer’ of Intelligence

Allegations that President Donald Trump is uninterested in intelligence briefings related to national security could not be "any more false," CIA chief Mike Pompeo told MSNBC's Hugh Hewitt in an exclusive interview that aired Saturday.

Trump “is a serious consumer of the product that the intelligence community delivers," Pompeo said.

“I cannot imagine a statement that is any more false than the one that would attribute President Trump not being interested in intelligence and facts when it comes to national security,” he added.

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WNU editor: In the above video the audio is out of sink .... but if following the CIA is your thing .... it is worthwhile to listen to. As to what is my take on his interview.... a bit disappointed .... there was nothing new revealed.

More News On CIA Director Mike Pompeo's Interview By NBC

CIA Director Mike Pompeo meets 'nearly every day' with Trump who is an 'avid consumer' of intelligence -- Washington Examiner
CIA chief: Trump is an ‘avid consumer’ of intelligence -- The Hill
CIA Director Mike Pompeo: Trump is 'incredibly demanding' of the intelligence community -- Business Insider
CIA chief: Intel leaks on the rise, cites leaker 'worship' -- AP
Trump CIA director blames 'worship of Edward Snowden' for rise in leaks -- The Guardian
Mike Pompeo: Trump admin plans on "punishing" leakers -- Axios

CIA Chief In South Korea To Discuss North Korea

US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director Mike Pompeo arrives at a Senate Select Intelligence Committee closed hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, March 15, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

Korea Times: CIA Chief in Seoul to discuss N. Korea crisis

Mike Pompeo, director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), is on an unannounced visit to South Korea for discussions on North Korea, government sources said Monday.

He is the highest-ranking American official to travel to Seoul since Vice President Mike Pence's trip last month.

Pompeo arrived here on Saturday and had a series of meetings with Lee Byung-ho, head of South Korea's National Intelligence Service, and officials at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae, according to the sources.

He also had a dinner meeting on Sunday joined by Marc Knapper, the acting U.S. ambassador to South Korea, and Gen. Vincent K. Brooks, the commander of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK).

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Update #1: CIA chief in S.Korea for 'internal meeting': US embassy -- AFP
Update #2: CIA director in S. Korea for consultations on N. Korea: report -- Korea Herald

WNU Editor: He is not there for the kimchi.

CIA Director Mike Pompeo: President Trump Is Now A 'Fan' Of America's Intelligence Communisty

Vice President Mike Pence, right, swears in Mike Pompeo—flanked by his wife Susan—to be director of the CIA in Washington, D.C. on January 23. Pompeo is set to hold meetings in Turkey in what will be his first foreign visit. REUTERS/JONATHAN ERNST

Bloomberg: Trump's Morphed From Spy Agency Critic to Fan, CIA's Pompeo Says

* ‘Don’t laugh,’ Pompeo says, acknowledging Trump’s past barbs
* Strike on Syria may have brought closer bonds with agencies

Not long ago Donald Trump was describing U.S. “intelligence” agencies in mocking quote marks and comparing them to Nazi Germany for damaging leaks about him. As a presidential candidate, word was he barely wanted to sit still for top-secret briefings.

Not anymore, according to Trump’s CIA director.

Mike Pompeo paints a picture of his boss as an enthusiastic consumer of intelligence briefings, including top-secret assessments of threats posed by Syria, Russia and North Korea.

In his first public speech since becoming head of the Central Intelligence Agency, the former Republican House member called the Trump administration’s relationship with the intelligence community “fantastic.” That produced enough surprised titters that he told his audience at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, “Don’t laugh. I mean that.”

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Update: CIA head: Trump has 'fantastic' relationship with intel community (The Hill)

WNU Editor: There is something about this CIA Director that just does not rub me the right way.

Mike Pompeo Is Confirmed By The U.S. Senate As C.I.A. Director

New York Times: Mike Pompeo Is Confirmed to Lead C.I.A., as Rex Tillerson Advances

WASHINGTON — President Trump’s cabinet continued to take shape on Monday, as Representative Mike Pompeo of Kansas earned approval to lead the Central Intelligence Agency and Rex W. Tillerson, the secretary of state nominee, cleared a key Senate hurdle to all but assure his own confirmation.

Despite some shaky appearances from his nominees on Capitol Hill and often blistering Democratic opposition, Mr. Trump has thus far faced few meaningful obstacles in installing the team of his choice — aided by Senate Republicans who are eager to expedite the confirmation process.

Mr. Tillerson had been the only nominee to attract notable doubts from within the Republican Senate majority, briefly imperiling his prospects amid concerns over his ties to Russia and its president, Vladimir V. Putin, during Mr. Tillerson’s tenure at Exxon Mobil. But on Monday, Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, who had emerged as a critical vote on Mr. Tillerson’s fate, announced his support.

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WNU Editor: The vote was 66 to 32.

More News On Mike Pompeo Being Confirmed By The U.S. Senate As C.I.A. Director

U.S. Senate confirms Pompeo to be Trump's CIA director -- Reuters
Former Congressman Mike Pompeo Sworn in as CIA Director -- AP
Senate confirms Pompeo as CIA director, Tillerson clears committee vote -- FOX News
Mike Pompeo Sworn In as CIA Director After Senate Confirmation -- NBC
Pompeo confirmed, sworn in as head of CIA -- Politico
Pompeo confirmed as CIA chief -- CNN
Donald Trump's CIA director confirmed as Mike Pompeo, despite torture concerns -- ABC News Online

U.S. Senate Democrats Try To Block President Trumps Choice For CIA Director

Representative Mike Pompeo (R-KS) testifies before a Senate Intelligence hearing on his nomination to head the CIA on Capitol Hill in Washington January 12, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

McClatchy News: Democrats block Pompeo CIA confirmation vote amid Trump’s feud with intel

WASHINGTON: An objection from three Democratic senators will delay the U.S. Senate’s vote to confirm Kansas Rep. Mike Pompeo as the new director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said on Friday that they oppose “a rushed confirmation” of Rep. Mike Pompeo to serve as CIA director unless senators get the opportunity to debate the nomination.

“The importance of the position of CIA Director, especially in these dangerous times, demands that the nomination be thoroughly vetted, questioned and debated,” the senators said in a statement.

The vote had been expected to happen on Friday, after the swearing-in of Donald Trump as the 45th president.

The move means Trump likely will start his presidency without his own nominee at the head of the CIA.

The senators said the CIA can protect the nation “under the leadership of its senior professional personnel” in the meantime.

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WNU Editor: Many are not happy with this delay .... Obama Allies Working to Undermine Trump’s National Security Team (Washington Free Beacon).

More News On U.S. Senate Democrats Trying To Block President Trumps Choice For CIA Director

Democrats try to block appointment of Mike Pompeo as CIA head -- The Telegraph
Senate gears up for battle over Trump's CIA pick -- The Hill
Dems block Trump’s CIA nominee -- Washington Times
Ron Wyden puts hold on Trump CIA nominee -- Daily Kos
US Senate Delays Debate, Confirmation Vote on Trump CIA Nominee Until Monday -- Sputnik
Republicans accuse Schumer of breaking word on Pompeo confirmation -- CNN

President-Elect Trump Has Selected Kansas Republican Rep. Mike Pompeo To Be The CIA's Next Director

McClatchy News: Kansas Rep. Mike Pompeo, an Army veteran, will become Trump’s CIA director

WASHINGTON: Donald Trump has selected Kansas Republican Rep. Mike Pompeo to lead the CIA, the president-elect announced Friday morning.

Pompeo is a West Point and Harvard Law School graduate and a vocal member of the House Select Committee on intelligence. He’s been a fierce critic of the Obama administration’s policies on Iran and Libya.

“He has served our country with honor and spent his life fighting for the security of our citizens,” Trump said in a statement. “He will be a brilliant and unrelenting leader for our intelligence community to ensure the safety of Americans and our allies.”

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WNU Editor: Yup .... What Donald Trump’s National Security Hires Actually Mean (Time).

More News On President-Elect Trump Selecting Kansas Republican Rep. Mike Pompeo To Be The CIA's Next Director

Donald Trump taps Mike Pompeo, a fierce critic of Obama and current U.S. policy, to lead CIA -- AP
Mike Pompeo Is Trump’s Choice as C.I.A. Director -- New York Times
Donald Trump Taps Kansas Rep. Mike Pompeo as CIA Director -- WSJ
Donald Trump Names Kansas Rep. Mike Pompeo His Pick for CIA Director -- ABC News
Kansas congressman Pompeo accepts Trump offer to head CIA, Fox News confirms -- FOX News
Trump asks Rep. Mike Pompeo to be CIA director -- CNN
Trump election: Mike Pompeo - America's likely new spymaster -- BBC
Donald Trump appoints Congressman Mike Pompeo as CIA director -- The Independent
Pro-Guantanamo Mike Pompeo appointed CIA director by Donald Trump -- The Telegraph
Trump’s CIA nominee Mike Pompeo promises to roll back Iran deal -- Financial Times
Trump’s CIA Director Wants to Return to a Pre-Snowden World -- Kevin Waddell, The Atlantic
Who Is Mike Pompeo? CIA's Next Leader Has Been Called Anti-Muslim; Kansas Congressman Is Tea Party Member -- IBTimes
Mike Pompeo: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know -- Heavy