Posted on 11/30/2017 7:47:18 AM PST by SeekAndFind
The White House has mapped out a plan in which Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is replaced in the next few weeks with current CIA Director Mike Pompeo, according to a report.
Senior administration officials told the New York Times Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., would then take over for Pompeo as director of the CIA.
Cotton has indicated he would take the post if President Trump offered it to him, the officials said. However, it’s unknown whether the president has approved the transition plan. A spokesperson for Cotton said the senator’s “focus is on serving Arkansans in the Senate.”
The plan to oust Tillerson and transition Pompeo into the role of the nation’s top diplomat was developed by White House chief of staff John Kelly, who has floated the proposal with other administration officials. The change in the makeup of the national security team would take place toward the end of the year or not long after, according to the New York Times.
Tillerson’s relationship with Trump has been strained, and the two have sparred over different foreign policy issues, such as the Iran nuclear deal and North Korea.
The secretary of state and former CEO of Exxon Mobile reportedly called the president a “moron” during a meeting at the Pentagon over the summer, and considered resigning, adding to speculation surrounding his tenure in the Trump administration. But in an impromptu news conference in October, Tillerson attempted to quiet rumors about his future, saying he had no plans to resign as secretary of state. He also denied allegations he made the derogatory remark about Trump.
Should Tillerson leave the State Department by the end of the year, his time as secretary of state would be the shortest of any predecessor
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonexaminer.com ...
I’ll believe that when it happens.
If so, step down today, Rex. Good riddance. And tie yourself to McMastermind on your way out the door.
Fine with me. Tillerson does not impress.
A strong intelligent man like Cotton can do far more good in a Cabinet position than as one voice in the Senate. Read the piece I posted above for an example of Senator Cotton’s thinking - he needs to be in a position where his ideas can get traction rather than being cancelled out by a vote from Alfranken...or John McLame.
We can always elect good new people to the Senate to replace those who have the talent to move up. Cotton is proof.
Don’t think Trump was happy with State backing off the threat to the Palis.
What would impress you?
Tillerson was CEO of EXXON. He knows all the international players personally. He knows more about employees than any politico or bureaucrat.
I think you would likely be impressed by trivialities....... not real substace
Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump
4 hrs
The Failing @nytimes, the pipe organ for the Democrat Party, has become a virtual lobbyist for them with regard to our massive Tax Cut Bill. They are wrong so often that now I know we have a winner!
Senate confirmed Pompeo as head of CIA. Needs confirmation for any other Cabinet position. i.e. confirmation for one position is not confirmation for other positions. And, you can bet the Dems will never miss an opportunity to hit Repubs during a confirmation process, so it is unlikely they would just vote on the new position without grandstanding hearings.
RE: We can always elect good new people to the Senate to replace those who have the talent to move up. Cotton is proof.
Is the Arkansas Senator APPOINTED by the governor, or does he have to go through elections?
If the latter, be prepared for another “Sexual Harassment” charge that happened 40 years ago (note the quotes) close to election date from Gloria Allred’s client(s).
Fox News is reporting it also...independent of the NYT report. It seem highly likely this will happen.
I think Tillerson is a very capable person, especially as a businessman. However, Tillerson seems to be an incongruity within the Trump administration. Tillerson is a globull warming advocate. Tillerson is pro-Islam.
So, while Tillerson is a good guy, he is likely a very moderate person with soft spots for the left, and that just never seemed to square with the Trump administration.
On balance, it is unfortunate the Trump administration has to go through this, but I do think the Trump administration is definitely finding its groove, and rather than having Tillerson as an irritating and distracting pebble in the shoe, it’s better that they part ways.
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/10/tom-cotton-rex-tillerson
Trump expects his appointees to execute on those objectives
Pompeo has done a very good job of implementing Trump's agenda and getting the CIA under control
Tillerson is in a much tougher position because Trump and his family members wish to run foreign policy from the White House and Tillerson has not shown as much enthusiasm for showing State Dept moles the door.
Tillerson has a Trump size ego and is accustomed to being the CEO.
After being CEO of huge petrochemical company, Tillerson may be having trouble subordinating himself to a new boss.
I’ll wait for WH to confirm or deny this one. I don’t like the sources.
Also, these same outlets were furious a few day ago with Tillerson for not filling vacant state department seats.
The whole idea of using Cotton and taking him out of the senate is crazy. He’s one of the best senators. Arkansas is not a safe state. Just ask Clinton. That seat is loseable.
Yes, I think those are all valid and highly probable points as well.
“according to a report”
back to totally fake news now - i think there’s been about a million “reports” that trump was gonna fire this person, or replace that person with some other person.
i guess this sort of fake news is now what publishers use on slow news days instead of stories like cat-stuck-in-tree-rescued-by-friendly-firemen ...
“I’ll believe that when it happens.”
Sounds good to me!
because Bolton is a “one world order” elitist? Many think he is a war monger and too controlled by the MIC.
Plus, don’t know why trump would want to nuke tillerson anyway, he’s successfully gutting the State Department right now, purging both career and appointed leftists by the hundreds, draining his part of the swap exactly like trump wants.
the fake stream media has been howling and whining for weeks about the number of ambassadors and embassy staff who’ve resigned or been run out and how tillerson is just DECIMATING the “core competency” of the State Department, leaving U.S. reputation in “tatters”.
sounds to me like tillerson is doing a great job!
Varney said WH did not confirm this, but said only that Tillerson is busy at work.
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