SHOULD REX TILLERSON REOPEN HIS HOUSE IN HOUSTON?

…The current Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson

 

 

Does the current Secretary of State have one foot out the door?

 

Well, in a few weeks, it looks like we will might be congratulating Nikki Haley, or another individual as the next US Secretary of state.

It was obvious that Sec. Tillerson was quickly trying to squash the NBC statement that Vice President Pence had talked Tillerson out of quitting in frustration last summer, and that Tillerson had called the president a “F-ing moron” in front of three individuals after a Pentagon meeting.

 

Tillerson has stated that he had never considered resigning. But as to the “moron” comment, he continues avoid saying he didn’t say it.  He instead responds that it was a “petty nonsense” accusation.  His non-answer sure sounds like a confirmation that he probably did say it. 

 

Personally, I am aware of how all the legitimate Network News organizations require multiple confirmations before making a comment on camera.  I would trust NBC before I would a statement from Tillerson that already has differences with his boss.  It is well known that Tillerson doesn’t want to drop out of the nuclear agreement with Iran, as does Trump, and it is understood that the UN Ambassador Haley agrees with the president on pulling out of the Iran agreement.

 

In his effort to keep his job a little longer, Tillerson rang all those bells of positive comments about the president.  He praised the president’s “love for this country” and he said that he was “smart” and that Trump insisted on “accountability”.  That last sentence almost made me gag.  Trump is anything but accountable.

 

Tillerson then added icing to the cake when he listed the administration’s foreign-policy accomplishments, including working with China to pressure North Korea.  He mentioned the trip to the Riyadh summit and in strengthening the commitment of Saudi Arabia and its neighbors to fight terrorism.  He mentioned Trump’s pushing NATO to spend more on defense, and in re-committing to remain in Afghanistan.  (Didn't Trump commit to getting us out of all the mid-east wars?)  He then dropped a big stink-bomb that ISIS was on the brink of being extinguished…..REALLY!

 

It was basically the same list of accomplishments that the White House pulls out for asserting all of President Trump’s so called “wins.”  You know, the biggest "do nothing" administration in history.

 

Tillerson then invoked another key player, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, with whom Tillerson said he communicates with almost daily.

Tillerson’s reference to Mattis is especially important, because the bond between these two has been something of an anchor in all of the upheaval of the Trump presidency. Mattis has never swayed from his commitment that he expressed during his first weeks as Defense Secretary, to coordinate all major policy positions with Secretary Tillerson.  Chief-of-Staff Kelly is also part of that bond.

 

Mattis’s camp continues to be steadfast in supporting Tillerson.  They seem totally unaware of any White House unhappiness and he continues to stand by the secretary of state. But the president has been pissed-off at Tillerson now for weeks.

 

And just why is that?

 

The president has been undercut by Tillerson’s separate positions on the Qatar-Saudi dispute, and by Tillerson’s public statement that he won't speak for Trump, Trump “speaks for himself” after all the Charlottesville rioting.  But mainly because of Tillerson’s position for keeping the Iran nuclear deal intact.

 

Tillerson’s public discussion of diplomatic channels with North Korea last weekend in Beijing also angered the White House, since it came at a time when Trump was advertising his confrontation with “Little Rocket Man”.  This is his mocking description of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump was very upset that Tillerson hadn’t first cleared his North Korea comments with the White House.

 

Will this latest Tillerson re-commitment to his job be sufficient to get the president through the Beijing, China meeting in November?  It remains to be seen, as it may only be a pause before the firing, or before Tillerson himself has had enough of the “F-ing Moron”.

 

Tillerson faces a true paradox: To be effective as Secretary of State, he must communicate better with the country and the world.  But to maintain the confidence of this prickly president, he must avoid comments that seem to question the president’s personality or policies.  So far, Tillerson has found that to be an impossibility.  Trump's total commitment to ugly comments about individuals on Twitter makes Tillerson's job almost impossible.

 

Like everyone else in Trump’s bizarre world, the Secretary of State is living under a volcano. The former ExxonMobil chief executive doesn’t need this job. He is a very wealthy man who obviously hates Washington DC.  But he also apparently hates having press conferences and refuses to fill a number of important State Dept. positions

 

Tillerson should probably be taken at his word when he says that he remains in his post at the State Department, despite the difficult dealings with the president, because he is truly trying to serve his country.  I personally don't believe that Tillerson has the right attitude to be a diplomat.  He is basically a tried and true Texan.

 

But my personally opinion is also that Ms. Haley, who has her eyes on being Trump’s key individual in all areas of foreign affairs, she may eventually be Trump's best fit for Sec. State.

 

I would be surprised if Rex Tillerson is still the Secretary of State by Christmas or perhaps by the next Valentine’s Day.  That is by Trump's choice or Tillerson's.

 

Copyright G.Ater  2017