USA Today and the Daily News in New York, two newspapers often critical of President Donald Trump, have now come out in favor of confirming Mike Pompeo as his secretary of state.
“Although Pompeo's hawkish views are reason for concern, they are not sufficient reason to block his confirmation," USA Today said in an editorial. "Unless a nominee has clear ethical or competency failings, presidents should be accorded wide latitude to select top aides whom they trust and agree with. Pompeo passes that test and merits approval."
The newspaper noted Pompeo "graduated from Harvard Law School and at the top of his class at West Point." It said he has pledged to reverse "the damage by former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson," whose reorganization "drained talent and grew vacancies" at the State Department.
"Pompeo is far from the worst of Trump's picks and, if he is confirmed and lives up to his confirmation hearing pledges, he has the potential to be one of the better ones," USA Today concluded.
And the Daily News, in its editorial, conceded: "Pompeo would not be our choice to be America’s top diplomat, but unlike other patently unqualified Trump Cabinet picks, he is a solid-enough selection who deserves Senate consent."
It said the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is set to vote on Pompeo on Monday. Regardless of what happens with the panel, the full Senate will decide whether to confirm him, according to the newspaper.
"Pompeo also has solid knowledge of the world, the discipline to oversee complex diplomacy and — a double-edged sword, we admit — the trust of a President who seems to believe in almost no one," the Daily News said.
"That’ll have to do. Confirm him."
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