Senate approves Pompeo as US secretary of state

The United States Senate voted today to approve former Central Intelligence Agency director Mike Pompeo as secretary of state Thursday, after a bruising battle by Democrats against President Donald Trump's nominee.

Pompeo, who earned Trump's confidence after a year at the CIA, was accused by Democrats as being too bellicose and harboring anti-Muslim and homophobic sentiments.

But after barely getting the nomination past the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Pompeo was easily confirmed by the entire body in a vote of 57-42, with a handful of Democratic senators facing tough re-election battles voting in favor.

The approval came in time for Pompeo to lead the US delegation to NATO foreign minister talks in Brussels this weekend and to arrange a summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in the coming months.  -- Agencies