Frequent Trump critics NY Daily News, USA Today editorial boards back Pompeo

Two editorial boards that have often been critics of President Trump have decided to endorse Mike Pompeo for secretary of State.

The endorsements by the New York Daily News and USA Today come as Pompeo, who currently serves as CIA director, faces a crucial vote Monday by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

In its piece titled “Confirm Mike Pompeo: President Trump needs a secretary of state,” the Daily News urges confirmation because Pompeo is a “solid-enough selection.”

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“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,” writes the Daily News.

The publication goes on to label former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson a “feckless” leader.

“In hearings, Pompeo has committed to rebuilding a State Department where experienced staff fled in droves and morale hit rock bottom during the feckless leadership of Tillerson,” the board wrote.”

“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.

“That’ll have to do. Confirm him.”

The Daily News has repeatedly lambasted Trump, referring to him as a “madman” in a November editorial and saying he has “s— for brains” in January.

The USA Today headline reads “Confirm Mike Pompeo to fill the void at State” while saying “Pompeo is no dummy.”

“Pompeo is no dummy — he graduated from Harvard Law School and at the top of his class at West Point,” the board notes. “He served as a cavalry officer in Europe during the Cold War. Crucially, he has promised to reverse the damage done by Tillerson, who implemented a  vacuous reorganization that drained talent and grew vacancies at State.”

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 concludes.

USA Today has repeatedly slammed the president, recently stating Trump was “unfit to clean toilets in Obama’s presidential library or to shine George W. Bush’s shoes.”

If Democrats on the Foreign Relations Committee vote all vote against reporting Pompeo out of committee and continue to have the backing Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who has also expressed opposition to Pompeo, it could set the stage for a 60-vote barrier for moving Pompeo to the Senate floor.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee vote is set for Monday at 5 p.m.