US Senate voted on Thursday to approve former CIA director Mike Pompeo as secretary of state, after a bruising battle by Democrats against President Donald Trump's nominee.
Mr. Pompeo, who earned Mr. Trump's confidence after a year at the CIA, was accused by Democrats as being too bellicose and harbouring anti-Muslim and homophobic sentiments.
But after barely getting the nomination past the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Mr. 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 favour.
The approval came in time for Mr. Pompeo to lead the U.S. 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.
Mr. Pompeo replaces Rex Tillerson, the former oil executive Mr. Trump fired in March after a year of tensions and turmoil in the State Department, where he alienated much of his staff and left the body deeply demoralized.
But where Mr. Tillerson was seen as a voice for moderation in the Mr. Trump administration, Mr. Pompeo is viewed as a hawk who could combine with new White House National Security Advisor John Bolton to back more aggressive posturing by Trump on the world stage.
