Rand's reversal advances Pompeo

President TrumpDonald John TrumpTiger Woods calls Nike's Kaepernick campaign a 'beautiful spot' EPA lost more than 1,500 workers in first 18 months of Trump administration: report Trump: Races that GOP was not thinking about winning 'are now very close' MORE’s nominee for secretary of State, Mike PompeoMichael (Mike) Richard PompeoTrump says he is expecting new letter from Kim Jong Un NYT receives complimentary phone calls after White House tweets out number Mystery builds over anonymous Trump official’s identity MORE, appears to be on a glide path to confirmation after a last-minute reversal Monday from Sen. Rand PaulRandal (Rand) Howard PaulCNN's Chris Cuomo mocks Rand Paul's call for lie detector tests: 'Crazy days' Trump advisers discussed using lie-detector tests to find anonymous op-ed author: report Trump allies want Congress to find anonymous op-ed author MORE (R-Ky.).

Paul’s surprise support helped push Pompeo over the top in an 11-9-1 Senate Foreign Relations Committee vote.

All 11 of the Republicans on the committee voted for Pompeo, while nine Democrats voted against him. Sen. Christopher  Coons (D-Del.) voted present after opposing Pompeo in an initial vote. Under Senate rules, Sen. Johnny IsaksonJohn (Johnny) Hardy IsaksonTrump blasts Tester at Montana rally: 'He loves the swamp' Renaming Senate office building after McCain sparks GOP backlash GOP senator warns Trump: Anyone who trash-talks McCain 'deserves a whipping' MORE (R-Ga.), who was voting "yes" by proxy as he attended a funeral, couldn’t be used to clinch a majority for Pompeo, so the committee would have been formally tied at 10-10 unless a Democrat agreed to vote present. 

The outcome was dramatically different from what lawmakers, staffers and pundits had expected earlier in the day.

Pompeo, who is now Trump’s CIA director, was widely expected to become the first secretary of State nominee since at least 1925 to fail to win a favorable recommendation from the panel. 

Paul had vowed for weeks to oppose Pompeo, citing his support for the Iraq War and his views on so-called enhanced interrogation techniques.

“I’m perplexed by the nomination of people who love the Iraq War so much that they would advocate for a war with Iran next. I think it goes against most of the things President Trump campaigned on,” Paul said. 

But Paul had been under intense pressure from Trump and White House officials to change course. In a statement about Pompeo just minutes before the vote, Paul mentioned fielding several calls from the president.

“After calling continuously for weeks for Director Pompeo to support President Trump’s belief that the Iraq war was a mistake, and that it is time to leave Afghanistan, today I received confirmation that Director Pompeo agrees with President Trump,” Paul said in a statement.

Trump gave Paul a shoutout last week, calling him a “very special guy” and predicting that he would come around. 

“I will say this about Rand Paul: He’s never let me down. … And I don’t think he’ll let us down again. So let’s see what happens,” Trump said.

Republicans had indicated they thought Paul was a lost cause. The libertarian-minded senator frequently breaks with his party on foreign policy issues, and he angered his colleagues earlier this year by forcing a brief government shutdown.

“He’s a friend of mine, but I’ll let the president deal with that,” Sen. Bob CorkerRobert (Bob) Phillips CorkerGOP senator: ‘Who wouldn’t’ write anonymous op-ed against White House? Poll: Blackburn, Bredesen locked in tight Senate race in Tennessee Kavanaugh refuses to answer questions on Trump pardons MORE (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, told reporters after Trump’s comment about Paul.

When a reporter noted on Monday that Paul’s stance caused difficulty for Republicans “at times,” Sen. John CornynJohn CornynBooker to keynote Dem gala in Iowa Booker defies GOP warning, releases another batch of 'confidential' Kavanaugh docs GOP says Booker may face ethics review MORE (Texas), the No. 2 Senate Republican, fired back: “At times? I would strike the ‘at times.’ I wish them luck.”

With the committee vote behind them, GOP leadership is expected to bring Pompeo’s nomination up for a vote on the Senate floor before the end of the week.

“It’s hard to imagine a better nominee for this mission at this moment than Mike Pompeo. I look forward to upholding the tradition of this body and voting to confirm him this week,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellRyan, McConnell brought props to meeting to talk Trump out of government shutdown: report Booker defies GOP warning, releases another batch of 'confidential' Kavanaugh docs Trump in good shape to secure second Supreme Court confirmation victory MORE (R-Ky.) said.

Pompeo has a lock on the simple majority he needs to be confirmed. So far, three Democrats — Sens. Heidi HeitkampMary (Heidi) Kathryn HeitkampTrump in good shape to secure second Supreme Court confirmation victory Ben Shapiro calls Booker a 'grandstanding idiot' Five biggest surprises in midterm fight MORE (N.D.), Joe ManchinJoseph (Joe) ManchinTrump in good shape to secure second Supreme Court confirmation victory Ben Shapiro calls Booker a 'grandstanding idiot' Five biggest surprises in midterm fight MORE (W.Va.) and Joe DonnellyJoseph (Joe) Simon DonnellyTrump in good shape to secure second Supreme Court confirmation victory Ben Shapiro calls Booker a 'grandstanding idiot' Five biggest surprises in midterm fight MORE (Ind.) — have said they will support Pompeo’s nomination. Assuming every Republican senator votes “yes,” Pompeo is on track to get at least 53 votes.

All three of the Democrats backing Pompeo are up for reelection in red-leaning states that Trump won handily in 2016. 

“After meeting with Mike Pompeo, discussing his foreign policy perspectives, & considering his distinguished time as CIA Director & his exemplary career in public service, I will vote to confirm Mike Pompeo to be our next Secretary of State,” Manchin said in a tweet.

Donnelly added in a statement that Pompeo “is capable of advancing U.S. interests and leading the State Department.”

Despite the jolt of momentum on Monday, Pompeo will likely set a record for the most votes ever cast against a secretary of State. That record is now held by Trump’s first secretary of State, Rex TillersonRex Wayne TillersonWoodward book shames Trump shills, apologists and enablers Trump gives 'red card' to reporters during meeting with FIFA head True cost of rampant White House turnover: Inexperience breeds incompetence MORE, who was confirmed 56-43 last year.

Yet Monday’s outcome was also a setback for liberal Democrats who had pushed to keep Pompeo’s nomination in limbo as a way to force concessions from Republicans.

Liberals wanted to force McConnell to try to discharge Pompeo’s nomination from the committee. The unusual move would have required 60 votes and given Democrats an opening to try block Pompeo — the first time they would have been able to scuttle a Trump nominee on the Senate floor.

But that move appeared to fail to gain traction after Democratic senators began coming out in support of Pompeo; Heitkamp was the first on Thursday, followed by Manchin and Donnelly on Monday.

Of the 15 members of the Senate minority who supported Pompeo’s nomination for CIA director, four have yet to say how they’ll vote: Minority Leader Charles SchumerCharles (Chuck) Ellis SchumerKavanaugh thoroughly understands the role of impartiality in America's judicial system Left fed up with Schumer’s Supreme Court playbook Election Countdown: Fallout from Massachusetts stunner | In Delaware, Carper looks to avoid next progressive upset | Dem 2020 primary already in full swing | How a Dem ex-governor hopes to take red-state Tennessee | GOP challengers hit Dems over tax votes MORE (D-N.Y.), Mark WarnerMark Robert WarnerSunday shows preview: White House officials on offensive in wake of anonymous NY Times op-ed DOJ charges North Korean national in Sony, WannaCry attacks Hillicon Valley: Twitter chief faces GOP anger over bias | DOJ convenes meeting on bias claims | Rubio clashes with Alex Jones | DHS chief urges lawmakers to pass cyber bill | Sanders bill takes aim at Amazon MORE (D-Va.), Claire McCaskillClaire Conner McCaskillFive biggest surprises in midterm fight Centrist Dems defend tough tactics at Kavanaugh hearing Trump to campaign for GOP Senate candidate in Missouri next week MORE (D-Mo.) and Angus KingAngus Stanley KingRestoring our national parks would be a bipartisan win for Congress Restore our parks Renaming Senate office building after McCain sparks GOP backlash MORE (I-Maine).

Several red and purple state senators, such as Democratic Sens. Doug Jones (Ala.) and Bob CaseyRobert (Bob) Patrick CaseyFive biggest surprises in midterm fight Obama readies fall campaign push, but some Dems say no thanks Poll: Pennsylvania Democrats surging with double-digit leads MORE Jr. (Pa.), also haven’t announced their positions. 

Democrats worry that Pompeo will enable other hawks on Trump’s national security team — namely national security adviser John Bolton — while working to unravel the Iran nuclear deal.

But Republicans and the White House had launched an eleventh hour charm offensive to try to win over more support.

“If red-state Democrats refuse to stand up to their liberal colleagues on national security, it only proves to voters they’re unfit to continue serving in office,” said Katie Martin, a spokeswoman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders called the Democrats’ tactics “absolutely outrageous.”

“A majority of Democrats continue their pointless obstruction to score cheap political points with their base as a willful attempt to undermine American diplomacy,” she said.