Exxon Mobil Chief Rises as Trump’s Choice for Secretary of State

Bravo.

Keeping with the theme of bankers, billionaires, and wealthy donors Exxon's CEO is apparently Trump's new fave for secretary of state.

Wise choice, wouldn't you say?

Okay, I am not sure why he is a wise choice. He has apparently close ties with Russia, so that is always important in some way. He does believe in climate change, putting him at odds with the folks who work for Trump who deny science and at one of Trump's many positions on the issue.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/09/u...on-secretary-of-state-exxon-donald-trump.html

Rex W. Tillerson, the president and chief executive of Exxon Mobil, has emerged as President-elect Donald J. Trump’s top choice to become secretary of state, according to a person with direct knowledge of the search process.

The news is the latest turn in what has become the most extended drama of Mr. Trump’s transition effort, with a rotating cast of seeming front-runners to become America’s top diplomat. Choosing Mr. Tillerson would add to a long list of wealthy businesspeople in high-ranking Trump administration posts.

As Exxon’s top official, Mr. Tillerson has extensive experience working with foreign leaders. Some of his foreign relationships, especially those with Russia, could come under particular scrutiny during a Senate confirmation hearing.

Mr. Tillerson, 64, who met with Mr. Trump on Tuesday at Trump Tower in New York, has been strongly recommended by a number of business leaders. It is unclear when Mr. Trump expects to announce his choice for the job.

Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, has been described by Mr. Trump’s advisers as still in the running. But Mr. Trump has privately said conflicting things on his views of Mr. Romney, advisers said, and has indicated to several people that he is unlikely to be named. Mr. Romney harshly criticized Mr. Trump during the presidential campaign.

Mr. Tillerson has worked to strengthen Exxon Mobil’s ties with Russia. The company has various joint ventures with the oil giant Rosneft around Russia, and has contributed to social programs in education and health. In 2012, the Russian government awarded Mr. Tillerson the country’s Order of Friendship decoration.

Western sanctions against Russia prohibiting the nation from certain energy development activities have slowed Exxon Mobil’s investments, particularly a joint venture with Rosneft that was supposed to start drilling for oil in the Kara Sea in 2014. Mr. Tillerson has spoken out against sanctions, in part because Exxon Mobil is unable to collect revenues from an investment in an oil and gas consortium it belongs to that operates off Sakhalin Island.

In addition, Exxon Mobil has close connections with the Qatari national oil company, and has partnered with the Qataris in building a liquefied natural gas terminal on the Gulf of Mexico coast that is designed for importing gas and possibly for exporting it as well.

Mr. Tillerson assumed the role of chairman and chief executive of Exxon Mobil on Jan. 1, 2006. During his tenure, the company has acknowledged the science underlying climate change and said it supports a carbon tax. It has also expressed support for the Paris climate agreement.

“We believe that addressing the risk of climate change is a global issue,” he said at the company’s annual shareholder meeting in May, adding that it would require the cooperation of governments, business and individuals.

By contrast, Mr. Trump has called climate change a hoax created by the Chinese for business reasons, and has named a climate change denier, Scott Pruitt, the attorney general of Oklahoma, as his choice to lead the Environmental Protection Agency.

 

We have elected businessman to run America, and he now hires these who, in his opinion, will help him do that. Business people. Is all there is to it.

 

Bush had an oil head as SoS and look how that turned out.

 

the rich have paid the politicians to follow their orders in the laws of the land, and they have failed.

now the rich are the ones who make the laws directly, so this oil man will help create high wage jobs for the poor who don't care about climate change, only a living wage.

 

Trump building his commie amerika.

Oil man who does deals with Russia

Amerika coming to your neighborhood comrades

http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/10/politics/rex-tillerson-secretary-of-state/index.html

 

What was wrong with Ms. Rice?

 

About darn time.

 

Has Trump publicly stated anywhere - including Twitter - that Tillerson has been his decided choice for Secretary of State?

Here it is 11:30 am ET, and the entire MSM - thanks to sources like the New York Times, who, "according to a person with direct knowledge of the search process" announces that Trump already made his decision. (Amazing how the Liberal media can read minds...)

Until I see and hear it from Trump, I personally will not accept the media's story appointment of Rex Tillerson.

God knows the MSM is already going to town with this one.

 

Cheney? He didn't know anything at all about the oil business. He was hired by Haliburton as a lobbyist because of his government contacts.\

 

I don't think we should be in another cold war with Russia. We should make them our ally. Putin is far more admired in the world than President Obama.
Drink some vodka and chill out.

 

Source?

Obama is pretty admired around the world. Hard to imagine Putin topping him.

Edit: pretty admired around the world except for enemies of America.

 

More about Rex Tillerson here:

http://www.forbes.com/profile/rex-tillerson/

 

LOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!

Putin shoots down passenger airplanes.

Yes, very admired

BRAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAH

 

Cheney was never Secretary of State.

 

Amazing how the fanatical right has suddenly become allies with Russia. What else are these people capable of?

 

Amazing how the fanatical left has suddenly become enemies of Russia. What else are these people capable of?

 

At least all of these nominees would not of had to pay to get their position like they would've had to with Hillary.

 

She didn't bother to push of some preparedness with the fact of imminent attack of our airlines.

Some might consider that a failure...


"Claim vs. Fact: Rice’s Q&A Testimony Before the 9/11 Commission"

https://www.americanprogress.org/is...rices-qa-testimony-before-the-911-commission/

 

She wasn't Secretary of State on 9/11, another black person was.

 

Take it from someone outside America. Putin is a joke. Obama is very highly thought of

- - - Updated - - -

O it was worse he was vp

 

It was worse he didn't know anything about the oil business because he was VP? What does Biden know about the oil business?

 

For 911, she was the "National Security Advisor".

THEN, after she (and every one else in the White House) completely blows it of keep "America Safe", the Republicans give her her reward for a "job well donw"by making her the Secretary of State!

 

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I am not familiar with Rex W. Tillerson nor can a read a few articles and claim I do. However, putting aside my dislike and bias against corporate CEO's, I'm willing to wait til he takes office and does something before I cast judgement.

 

I don't think that is entirely true.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...ampaign-and-the-party/?utm_term=.347bc355fc55

Six donors that Trump appointed gave almost $12 million with their families to back his campaign and the party




With his choice of restaurant executive Andrew Puzder to serve as his Labor secretary, President-elect Donald Trump has now tapped six big donors and fundraisers to serve in his administration, lining up an unprecedented concentration of wealthy backers for top posts.

Together with their families, Trump's nominees gave $11.6 million to support his presidential bid, his allied super PACs and the Republican National Committee, according to a Washington Post analysis of federal campaign filings.

One single appointee — WWE co-founder Linda McMahon — contributed $7.5 million to back his White House run before Trump selected her to run the Small Business Administration this week. She and her husband Vince were also the top outside donors to Trump's private foundation.

It’s not unusual for top presidential donors and bundlers to land plum assignments after an election. Ambassadorships to sought-after locales, such as London and Paris, are usually reserved for big money players. In recent administrations, senior campaign fundraisers have been chosen for Commerce secretary: Penny Pritzker under President Obama, Don Evans under President George W. Bush, Ronald Brown under President Bill Clinton, and Robert Mosbacher under President George H.W. Bush.
Wealthy donors get plum Trump Cabinet nods, bringing scrutiny
Play Video3:04
The Post’s Matea Gold looks at how President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign pledge to “drain the swamp” of special interests and big donors compares with his Cabinet picks so far. (Video: Bastien Inzaurralde/Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

But longtime watchers of money in politics cannot recall any president in recent history who has filled a Cabinet with so many major donors.

[Trump taps wrestling executive to lead Small Business Administration]

“In the past, they were a little hidden — they were sent overseas to be ambassadors,” said David Donnelly, president of Every Voice, an advocacy group that seeks to reduce the influence of wealthy donors on politics. “In this administration, they are going to be front and center making policy.”

Fred Wertheimer, president of the watchdog group Democracy 21, said Trump's choices raise questions about his pledge to “drain the swamp.”

“This is bound to result in all kinds of conflict and appearances of conflicts in terms of the financial interests of the people being appointed to high positions,” he said.

The president-elect's decision to put his major political backers in senior Cabinet positions is a jarring contrast with Trump's rhetoric through this year's campaign. He repeatedly declared himself independent of wealthy donors and predicted Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's benefactors would “have total control over everything she does.”

“Donald Trump gave his Foundation's largest donor a CABINET spot yesterday,” Clinton adviser Ronald Klain tweeted Thursday. “Did you see blaring headlines? Imagine if HRC had done that??”

[Trump donors continued to give millions after his election victory]

Trump transition officials did not respond to requests for comment.

The president-elect has defended the backgrounds of his Cabinet picks, saying he is choosing “killers” who know how to win. “I want people that made a fortune,” he told supporters at a rally in Des Moines Thursday night. “Because now they are negotiating with you, okay?”

Here's a breakdown of the donors Trump has nominated to serve in his administration and how much they gave:

Small Business administrator: Linda McMahon, $7.5 million

McMahon, co-founder of the professional wrestling franchise WWE and a former Republican Senate candidate from Connecticut, was the third biggest financial backer of Trump’s presidential bid, giving $7.5 million to pro-Trump super PACs, the RNC and his campaign. Between 2007 and 2009, she and her husband Vince gave $5 million to Trump's charitable foundation.

 

Many of those named contradict your claim. We also have inexperienced crackpots like Ben Carson, and Betsy DeVoos.

As for businessmen, so far, you have a couple of vulture capitalists, the very people who put the rust in the rust belt. If you think these guys, who their fortunes busting out the companies that owned the shuttered factory down the street from you, are going to bring back high paying jobs for working people, you're delusional.

Of course, many of that appointees bought their appointments. Nearly all of them gave Trump money, and/or campaigned for him.

Trump has always been for sale. He assumes everyone else is too.