REX TILLERSON DID CORRECTLY CALL THE PRESIDENT AS HE SAW HIM

…US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, in Korea’s Demilitarized Zone

Tillerson was a flawed, but honest Secretary of State

Before I get into the heart of this article, I would like to remind everyone that the former US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, who was said to have called President Trump a “moron”, to this day, Tillerson has never denied that he called the president that name.

Last weekend, in his first major address since leaving Washington after he was fired in March, Tillerson told graduates at the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) to remember the importance of integrity and honesty. He never mentioned Trump by name, but as to whom he was referring, his meaning was crystal clear.

Per the former Secretary, “If our leaders seek to conceal the truth or we as people become accepting of alternative realities that are no longer grounded in facts, then we as American citizens are on a pathway to relinquishing our freedom.”  Truth, he said, is the, “Central tenet of a free society.  It is truth that says to our adversaries, ‘We say what we mean, and we mean what we say,’ ” Tillerson said.

As we all know, Trump frequently distorts the truth, (and I’m being very generous when I say this) including about the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, which the president continues to falsely call it a “witch hunt.” He often also falsely calls unflattering news coverage “fake news,” a term that has been adopted by many authoritarian leaders.

In fact, the authoritarian leader of the Philippines, Duterte, that Trump has continually praised, is now testing that nation’s free-press’ freedom.

Tillerson at VMI did not give examples of the president’s lack of telling the truth, and he had already adopted a tougher public line on Russia than Trump has ever done.

But he added in the speech to the graduates, “When we as people, a free people, go wobbly on the truth — even on what may seem the most trivial of matters — we go wobbly on America.  If we do not as Americans confront the crisis of ethics and integrity in our society and among our leaders in both public and private sector — and regrettably at times even the nonprofit sector — then American democracy as we know it is entering its twilight years,” Tillerson added.

I found it interesting that at VMI, they have already added a new required college course that looks at Trump’s election and the class has discussions about how and why free democracies can eventually collapse.  (How this new course came about is probably worth a separate article.)

Tillerson had a troubled and a distant relationship with Trump, who had cut his first Secretary of State out of a number of key decisions. The former ExxonMobil chief executive, who did not know Trump before interviewing for the job, was overruled by the president on major policy issues, including the US withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord.  Tillerson’s intent was clear for staying in the Iran nuclear deal.  But after firing Tillerson, Trump pulled out of the deal, with support from his new Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo.  Tillerson’s successor hosted his first town hall with employees at the State Department, right after taking the office.

Tillerson on the other hand never had a State Town Hall and he did not allow any press to travel with him on official trips as has other US Secretary of States.

The Town Hall event was closed to the media, but two people in the room told The Washington Post that Pompeo revived his desire to bring the State Department’s “swagger back,” a subtle shot at the low morale reported by employees during Tillerson’s tenure.  In just a few weeks on the job, Pompeo has already reversed two heavily criticized Tillerson directives, ending a 16-month hiring freeze and reinstating a program that offers employment opportunities for the spouses of diplomats posted abroad.

During the Town Hall question-and-answer portion, Pompeo addressed a range of inquiries from employees, including one about the strength of the US response to Russian aggression. Pompeo said the United States needs to do more to combat Moscow.  This was reported by an individual that was in the room.

Being that Trump has not done or said anything about doing something to stop the Russians from messing with US elections, I for one, hope the new Sec. of State follows through with his comments.

VMI is located in Lexington, Va., and they had invited Tillerson to speak some months before he was fired via a presidential tweet. Tillerson said the VMI honor code helps students understand that: “Without personal honor, there is no leadership.  But a warning to you as you leave this place — a place where the person sitting on either side of you shares that understanding.  You will now enter a world where, sadly, that is not always the case. And your commitment to this high standard of ethical behavior and integrity will be tested.”

Tillerson appeared to say that his own integrity is intact, even as he made a joking reference to what was widely seen as humiliating treatment to him by Trump.  Among the aphorisms he offered the graduates were these:  “Blessed is the man who can see you make a fool of yourself and doesn’t think you’ve done a permanent job. Blessed is the man who does not try to blame all of his failures on someone else. Blessed is the man that can say that the boy he was would be proud of the man he is.”

I have never thought that Rex Tillerson was an appropriate choice for the US Secretary of State.  He had no diplomatic experience, he shunned dealing with the press, he was a personal business friend with Vladimir Putin and he reduced the State Department’s ambassadors to some critical nations that need serious diplomatic emphasis.

But as an intelligent and honest broker and someone that called out the president due to his lack of intelligence, he was right on.

That was exactly why he didn’t last in the Trump cabinet.  Only those that are related to, or that actually agree with the “moron president”, stay in their positions within the Trump administration.

For proof of that statement, just consider: Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Mick Mulvaney, Steve Mnuchin, Scott Pruitt, Mike Pompeo, and Ivanka and Jared.

I rest my case.

Copyright G.Ater  2018