Exxon Mobil CEO May Be Trump’s Choice for Secretary of State
Rex W. Tillerson, CEO of ExxonMobil Corporation, meeting with Vladimir Putin in 2012. (Wikimedia Commons)
Although initial reports made it seem likely that President-elect Donald Trump would choose former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney as his secretary of state, news broke Saturday that Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson had become the front-runner for the position.
The 64-year-old veteran oil executive has no government or diplomatic experience. The pick would put to rest weeks-long speculation of who would earn the post as the U.S.‘s top diplomat. Tillerson would be fourth in line to the presidency. …
Tillerson, of Wichita Falls, Texas, has already notified his corporate board about taking on the new role, sources told NBC News. He is set to retire from ExxonMobil next year, according to Reuters.
He has never previously worked in government, but reportedly holds conservative political views.
But little is known about where he stands on foreign policy, and as secretary of state, he would have to hit the ground running on major issues. Among them: handling the nuclear agreement with Iran that the Obama administration made in 2015; the sanctions imposed on Russia; disputes with China and North Korea; the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Syria; and rebuilding Afghanistan and Iraq.
While he has spent his entire career in the energy sector, Tillerson does have experience dealing with foreign governments since ExxonMobil operates in more than 50 countries.
Read the full report here.
—Posted by Emma Niles
Related Entries
- December 10, 2016 You’re a Mean One, Mr. Trump
- December 10, 2016 DJT
Source: http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/exxon_mobil_ceo_may_be_trumps_choice_for_secretary_of_state_20161210/
