U.S. Senator Rand Paul says he will oppose President Trump’s nominees for Secretary of State and CIA Director.
It didn’t take long for Paul, a Bowling Green Republican, to become the first GOP Senator to publicly oppose Mike Pompeo and Gina Haspel.
Pompeo is the current CIA Director who President Trump nominated Tuesday to replace Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State. Haspel is currently the second-in-command at the CIA, and has been nominated to replace Pompeo.
Paul was the only Republican Senator last year to vote against Pompeo for CIA Director.
Paul says he is still opposed to Pompeo because of his support for the Iraq War, and because Pompeo doesn’t think so-called “enhanced interrogation techniques” amount to torture.
Paul’s opposition to Haspel stems from her involvement in running a secret CIA prison in Thailand just over a year after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
A terrorist suspect at the prison was waterboarded and subjected to other brutal interrogation techniques.
"I find it just amazing that anyone would consider having this woman at the head of the CIA," Paul said.
