President-elect Trump took to Twitter this morning to announce his choice for Secretary of State.
Here are his tweets:
I have chosen one of the truly great business leaders of the world, Rex Tillerson, Chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil, to be Secretary of State.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 13, 2016
The thing I like best about Rex Tillerson is that he has vast experience at dealing successfully with all types of foreign governments.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 13, 2016
Reports are that Trump didn’t know Tillerson before the selection process began. The two men hit it off, and Trump saw in Tillerson someone with a similar view of the world. And with a similar skill set for solving problems.
“Exxon Mobil Corp. Chief Executive Officer Rex Tillerson will be nominated as President-elect Donald Trump’s secretary of state, setting up a potential confirmation battle with U.S. lawmakers who have questioned the oilman’s relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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“Rex knows how to manage a global enterprise, which is crucial to running a successful State Department, and his relationships with leaders all over the world are second to none,” Trump said in a statement Tuesday.
Tillerson said that he will focus on restoring America’s credibility on the international stage.
“We must focus on strengthening our alliances, pursuing shared national interests and enhancing the strength, security and sovereignty of the United States,” Tillerson said in the statement.
The oil executive beat out several high-profile candidates for the job, including Trump loyalist and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who took his name out of the running, and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, who had been a Trump critic during the campaign. Romney announced Monday that he was no longer in the running to be America’s chief diplomat.”
Now, the endorsements are flowing in:
Statement from ex Secretary of Defense Robert Gates: “I strongly endorse the President-Elect’s selection of Rex Tillerson.”
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) December 13, 2016
Fmr Defense Secretary Robert Gates: “I strongly endorse the President-Elect’s selection of Rex Tillerson to be the next Secretary of State.” pic.twitter.com/afAZ13pMGc
— FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) December 13, 2016
From Condoleezza Rice:
Congratulations, Secretary Tillerson!!
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