Mike Pompeo sworn in as secretary of state, heads to Mideast

WASHINGTON — Mike Pompeo has been sworn is as secretary of state.

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito swore Pompeo in Thursday afternoon at the Supreme Court.

From there, Pompeo was expected to rush to Andrews Air Force Base, where an aircraft was waiting to whisk him to Europe for his first trip as secretary. Pompeo is expected to travel to Brussels before heading on to the Middle East.

President Donald Trump applauded the confirmation of his former CIA director as secretary of state, calling him a “patriot.”

The outgoing CIA director secured support from 57 senators, with 42 voting no and one senator absent. It’s one of the slimmest margins for the job in recent history. Every past nominee since at least the Carter administration has received 85 or more yes votes, with the exception of Trump’s first secretary of state, Rex Tillerson. He got 56 yes votes.

Pompeo is a former Republican congressman from Kansas. He is expected to be sworn in almost immediately.

Pompeo has been deeply engaged in the administration’s efforts on North Korea and recently traveled to Pyongyang.

Pompeo’s confirmation narrowly made it out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Monday after last-minute support from Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky. He’s expected to have an easier time in the full Senate, though the tally will still likely be close.