Free Republic

Mr. Tillerson emerged as a contender on the strong recommendations of James A. Baker III, the secretary of state under President George Bush, and Robert M. Gates, the former defense secretary, according to a person briefed on the process. Mr. Kushner and Mr. Trump’s chief strategist, Stephen K. Bannon, advocated strongly for Mr. Tillerson, and the president-elect became intrigued.

illerson knows the world, knows how to make deals internationally and will be an extremely effective Sec of State.

Former House speaker weighs in on 'Fox & Friends'

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is expected to name the chief executive of Exxon Mobil as the country's top diplomat, NBC News reported Saturday.

Donald Trump is expected to nominate ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson as his secretary of state, two sources close to the transition process told NBC News on Saturday. The 64-year-old veteran oil executive has no government or diplomatic experience, although he has ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The pick would put to rest weeks-long speculation of who would earn the post as the U.S.'s top diplomat, and would place Tillerson fourth in line to the presidency.

Exxon Mobil Corp. Chief Executive Rex Tillerson has emerged as the leading candidate to become President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of state, according to two transition officials, marking the latest twist in a multiweek search for a top diplomat. Mr. Tillerson moved ahead of other candidates, including 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, who have had multiple conversations with Mr. Trump about the job. Mr. Tillerson is viewed by some of Mr. Trump’s advisers as a mold-breaking pick who would bring an executive’s experience to the diplomatic role, said a person involved in the process. Messrs. Trump and Tillerson...

Rudy Giuliani is out of the running for the coveted secretary of State nomination for the incoming administration, according to multiple reports. CNN reported that President-elect Donald Trump told the former New York City mayor that he had been removed from consideration for the job, while ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson is now leading the pack of candidates. NBC also reported that Giuliani is no longer in the running.

BREAKING: Trump to interview former Ford CEO Alan Mulally for secretary of state

Mr. Rex Tillerson is PERFECT for SOS! Insiders are saying that he's the guy! Guess we will see! Exon is a vast global company...with ties to everything. Mr. Tillerson know EVERYBODY.... and if President Trump is going to be the guy who "a rising tide floats all boats'... then this is a great 'tide' addition. Personal life Rex Tillerson is married and has four children. He resides in Irving, Texas. Mr. Tillerson is a devout Christian who attends Church and Bible study every week. Rex Wayne Tillerson (born March 23, 1952) is an American businessman and is the chairman, president,...

Sources tell #morningjoe: ‘Wide open’ field for State candidates, Romney at the top of the list https://t.co/fuXVALiXo4— Morning Joe (@Morning_Joe) December 6, 2016 The field of candidates for secretary of State in Donald TrumpDonald TrumpTrump's Taiwan phone call distracts from real issues over China Dem urges Biden to run for DNC chair As Congress adjusts to Trump, Iran put under the pressure it deserves MORE's administration is "wide open," according "Morning Joe." ADVERTISEMENT Mitt Romney is at the top of the president-elect's list, sources familiar with Trump's thinking told the show.Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is fading...

President-elect Trump continues to drag out the process of selecting someone to nominate for Secretary of State. Whether it’s all part of an effort to humiliate Mitt Romney for his insubordination during the primary or just a difficult decision to make is anyone’s guess. Ambassador John Bolton is considered by many to be the best choice to head up and reform the State Department.Fox News’ Bret Baier reported that Ambassador Bolton met with Vice President-elect Mike Pence yesterday in Washington to discuss the Secretary of State job and will meet with Trump tomorrow at Trump Tower in New York. Fox...

President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly considering seriously at least two men for the critical position of secretary of state. One, former presidential candidate Mitt Romney, has divided the Trump team between those who think it is a good idea and those who think Romney's severe criticism of Trump during the campaign disqualifies him. The other is retired general and former CIA Director David Petraeus. A major problem for Petraeus is his mishandling of classified documents, which he reportedly leaked to his biographer-mistress, Paula Broadwell. After Trump hammered Hillary Clinton for her "extremely careless" handling of classified material when she was...

ANALYSIS/OPINION:President-elect Donald Trump would be best served by selecting a secretary of State who understands the national security challenges our country faces, can literally “hit the ground running,” has a proven track record of successful negotiations, and most importantly, not only protects but projects the greatest attributes about America’s ideals of freedom and democracy. Remember that President Obama spent the first part of his administration on an apology tour. His disdain for American leadership in the world was communicated aboard and broadly.

How about someone with experience as a diplomat, including within the State Department and as a former U.N. ambassador? John Bolton, now a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a regular commentator on cable news, does not engage in wishful thinking, or project American morals on those who don't share them in the vain hope they might be contagious. Here is Bolton on the threat of radical Islamic terrorism: "When you have a regime that would be happier in the afterlife than in this life, this is not a regime that is subject to classic theories of deterrence."...

President-elect Donald Trump is down to his final four candidates in what has been a drama-filled search for his secretary of state. Republican National Committee communications director Sean Spicer told reporters during a Wednesday morning press call that Trump was down to four candidates for the administration post. Spicer said no additional appointments are expected this week. On Tuesday, Bloomberg reported that the search was down to five candidates: 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Bob Corker, former CIA Director David Petraeus, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and retired Marine Corps Gen. John...

A dinner between President-elect Donald Trump and Mitt Romney turned into a Twitter caption contest late Tuesday night. Trump met with Romney at the Jean-Georges restaurant in Manhattan amid speculation that the former Massachusetts governor could be selected as secretary of state. The pair was joined by Reince Priebus, Trump's top pick for chief of staff. Following the dinner Romney praised the president-elect, saying that he has "increasing hope" that Trump can lead the country to a "better future." Photos of the dinner surfaced on social media sites following the meeting, prompting users to post their own commentary about how...

Mr. Trump, in a statement emailed Monday evening by his spokeswoman, Hope Hicks, said: “Kellyanne came to me and asked whether or not she could go public with her thoughts on the matter. I encouraged her to do so. Most importantly she fully acknowledged there is only one person that makes the decision. She has always been a tremendous asset and that will continue.”

No doubt Rudi Guiliani, a staunch loyalist and the face of our grieving Nation on 9/11, would make an excellent Secretary of State. That said, he is more Richard Armitage than Colin Powell, more cut to the chase than the 35-year military man, more maverick than mollifier. Mitt Romney? Steady mollifier, a proven manager-in-chief, turn-key source for dispassionate counsel. But is that what the Trump/Pence Administration is hunting, as they prepare to remake America’s Foreign Policy? Or is the best choice General Keane, General Kelly, Senator Corker? Maybe. Maybe not. Comes now a new name, General David Petreaus. Here...

The talk at Donald Trump’s Thanksgiving dinner at his Florida club was all about if he should pick Mitt Romney or Rudy Giuliani for secretary of state. The president-elect held court on Thursday at his Palm Beach, Fla., Mar-a-Lago club at a large table with family members including wife Melania and sons Eric and Barron. One witness told us Trump took a prime table next to the fireplace in the club’s living room, but spent a lot of time greeting members and asking who they think should be his top diplomat. The spy said, “Donald was walking around asking everybody...

In a poll of over 100,000 Breitbart readers, former New York City Mayor Rudy Guiliani came out as their preferred choice for Donald Trump’s future Secretary of State. Guiliani, who backed Donald Trump’s campaign to be president, won 36.64% of the vote share, and was followed in second place by former U.S Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton, who gained 26.23% of the vote. Other candidates in the poll included former CIA Director David Petraeus who won 19.84% of the vote, whilst former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, who has been widely touted as the most likely pick for...