If any other Republican president were running the country, Elliott Abrams' hawkish pro-democracy views would be a liability with Democrats. With Donald Trump in charge, they're a badge of honor.

The president was due to meet Feb. 7 with Abrams at the White House, fueling speculation that the longtime diplomat will shortly be getting the nod to be deputy secretary of state. Senior department officials are gunning for an experienced lieutenant to help Secretary of State Rex Tillerson steer America's massive diplomatic corps, but Trump advisers such as Steve Bannon are said to be wary of a man who criticized the president throughout the campaign.

Ever since Abrams' name began to be floated as a contender for a top spot, familiar complaints have emerged on both the left and right: his unwavering support for repressive right-wing governments in Central America when he was assistant secretary of state under President Ronald Reagan; his conviction — and subsequent pardon by President George H.W. Bush — for withholding evidence from Congress in the Iran-Contra affair; and his enthusiastic embrace of the war in Iraq as senior director of Middle East affairs in President George W. Bush's National Security Council. But Democrats who would play a key role in confirming him in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee are paying especially close attention to Abrams' more recent comments critical of Trump and of undemocratic US allies in the Middle East.

"In the context of President Trump's alarming or disconcerting statements," said Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., "having someone in a senior role at the State Department who understands the operations of the State Department, respects and values the career of foreign service and civil service employees at the State Department, and who has been actively engaged in fighting for human rights, may be of real value."