Speaker Ryan on Pompeo: 'Razor-Sharp, a Dedicated Patriot'

House Speaker Paul Ryan praised the appointment of Mike Pompeo to lead the State Department, calling him "razor-sharp."

President Donald Trump announced Tuesday morning he is nominating Pompeo to replace Rex Tillerson as secretary of state, a decision that reportedly came as a surprise to Tillerson himself.

Ryan had this to say in a statement released a few hours after the news broke:

"Secretary Rex Tillerson has served his country honorably, and I thank him for his steady leadership. I welcome my good friend, Mike Pompeo, as the next secretary of state. Mike is razor-sharp, a dedicated patriot, and possesses the type of experience that makes him an outstanding choice to be our next top diplomat. I also congratulate Gina Haspel on her historic nomination to lead the CIA."

Haspel has worked at the CIA since 1985 and, if she is confirmed, would be the first woman to serve as the spy agency's director.

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