Pompeo cancels last foreign trip amid Trump impeachment moves

[WASHINGTON] US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday canceled his final foreign trip scheduled this week as President Donald Trump faces a second impeachment vote.

Mr Pompeo will assist "a smooth and orderly transition process" to President-elect Joe Biden that includes identifying officials who will stay on temporarily as the new administration takes charge, State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said.

"As a result, we are cancelling all planned travel this week, including the Secretary's trip to Europe," she said in a statement.

The State Department announced on Monday that Mr Pompeo would pay a short visit to Brussels to meet Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and Belgian leaders.

The cancellation comes as Democrats push Vice-President Mike Pence to remove Mr Trump through the 25th Amendment for inciting a deadly storming of the US Capitol last week by his supporters, who sought to overturn Mr Biden's victory.

Mr Pompeo, who after the election suggested that Mr Trump would stay on for a second term, has condemned the violence but resolutely backed the president.

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AFP