Democrats try to block appointment of Mike Pompeo as CIA head
![Mike Pompeo](/web/20170126205940im_/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/news/2016/11/18/Mike-Pompeo-small_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqZgEkZX3M936N5BQK4Va8RVX_50byq9Ah3wJAV0YS_Ms.jpg)
A row erupted in the US Senate as Democrats sought to delay the confirmation of President Donald Trump's pick for be the new head of the CIA.
Mr Trump had hoped the Senate would confirm at least seven of his major appointments on his first day in office, as it did for Mr Obama in 2009.
His picks of General James Mattis as Defence Secretary and General John Kelly to run the Homeland Security Department were confirmed. But Democrats balked at a quick confirmation for Mike Pompeo ,a congressman from Kansas, as the new head of the CIA.
Mr Pompeo has defended waterboarding and other "enhanced interrogation techniques" as being "within the law" and vehemently opposes Mr Obama's Iran nuclear deal and closing Guantanamo Bay.
Mr Trump said: "I call on members of the Senate to fulfil their constitutional obligation and swiftly confirm the remainder of my highly qualified cabinet nominees, so that we can get to work on behalf of the American people without further delay."
John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said: "We face threats foreign and domestic. It's critical for the president to have a full national security team today, day one."
Other Republican senators called their Democratic colleagues "sore losers".
The CIA post for which Mr Pompeo has been nominated is one of the most controversial in the new administration in the wake of Russian attempts to influence the presidential election.
Mr Trump was visiting the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia on Saturday in an effort to mend fences.
He has previously criticised intelligence officials after they concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin directed hackers to breach the emails of top Democrats in an effort to help him win the election.
More than 300 CIA staff were expected to attend for Mr Trump's visit and his spokesman said he was "excited to thank the men and women of the intelligence community."
John Brennan, the outgoing CIA director, who had criticised Mr Trump, resigned on Friday.
On his first full day in office Mr Trump visited CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia to build bridges with the agency.
Speaking to 400 members of the CIA he denied any "feud" with them. He said: "I love you, I respect you you, and you're going to be leading the charge. I'm with you 1,000 per cent. We are all on the same wave length"
Mr Trump added: "We have to get rid of Isis. Radical Islamic terrorism has to be eradicated off the face of the Earth. This is evil. We are going to end it."
He called Mr Pompeo a "total star" and said Democrats were "doing little political games" by delaying his confirmation as CIA Director.
Later Mr Brennan said he was "deeply saddened and angered" by Mr Trump's speech in which he attacked the media over its reporting of the size of crowds at the inauguration.