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Trump Cans Tillerson, Pompeo to Replace Rex at State
From Politico:
Published in GeneralPresident Donald Trump said Tuesday he is removing Rex Tillerson as secretary of state after a rocky tenure, nominating CIA Director Mike Pompeo in his place.
“Mike Pompeo, Director of the CIA, will become our new Secretary of State. He will do a fantastic job!” Trump tweeted Tuesday. “Thank you to Rex Tillerson for his service! Gina Haspel will become the new Director of the CIA, and the first woman so chosen. Congratulations to all!”
A senior White House official said Trump wanted Tillerson out so he could have his new team in place before upcoming talks with North Korea. The president agreed last week to sit down with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Tillerson said at a press conference Monday that the U.S. had not yet heard back from North Korea, but he made no mention of his own impending exit.
Tillerson has been embattled as Trump’s chief diplomat almost from the moment his nomination was announced. The former Exxon-Mobil CEO was criticized for his perceived warm relationship with the Russian government and President Vladimir Putin, prompting an especially critical confirmation hearing in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
REXIT!
(though I already said that on the member feed where She already started something)
That’s me. Always starting something. The more things change, the more they stay the same . . . .
Who will replace Pompeo at the CIA? My money’s on Robbie Knieval…
A woman (the first) with 30 years of experience within the agency! Congratulations to Mr. Pompeo – I listened to his interview on Ricochet and thought he was outstanding. What a resume!
Good grief! Go to bed and wake up, turn on the news – every day is seismic!
Why cite Politico? Why not use the actual Tweet? Is it for the added spin from the (most likely mythical, and if not, certainly self-interested) “senior White House official”?
The best people.
Why not John Bolton for State? It is said that Trump doesn’t like mustaches, but anyone with a hairdo like his shouldn’t quibble about something like that.
I don’t know whether this will work or not. It sounds all right. I hope, for our country’s sake, things turn out well.
It is rumored that Bolton may become National Security Adviser. Who knows?
Top Men!
If you read the whole post, you should see where the Tweet is included. It’s the second paragraph of the quote.
I also think that the reports had started before Trump tweeted.
I was curious about Gina Haspel, too. Apparently, she’s very capable with years of experience working undercover herself. Most mainstream media articles I’ve seen so far skim over her expertise to concentrate on her affiliation with enhanced interrogation during the Bush 43 administration post-911.
Rex Tillerson is a very capable executive who POTUS likes personally apparently. I thought he should have been replaced, however, some time ago because of glaring and obvious differences in opinion on key foreign policy issues. Mike Pompeo should be a good choice for Sec of State, not least because it’s one POTUS made based on a year of working together frequently. Tillerson was recommended by Condi Rice/Bob Gates. To me, Pompeo speaks with authority/knowledge, never saying more than he intends to say, yet I don’t get the taciturn vibe Tillerson had with the press.
The first paragraph quoted from Politico is a paraphrase of part of the tweet with an added tendentious “rocky tenure” reference.
The second paragraph is the text of the tweet with the addition of the words “Trump tweeted Tuesday”.
The third paragraph gives some selected context provided by an anonymous source, and we know how accurate those are.
The fourth paragraph is just spin/left talking points.
So: why use an extract from the Politico ‘story’ rather than the actual tweet? Editorial decisions, however lazily made, have consequences.
Clearly the work of Vladimir Putin.
EDs,
Obviously, this has been in the works for some time. Interesting that as it is taking place, Nikki Haley has called out the Russians over the ceasefire violation in Syria. Also, the poisoning in Britain seems to clearly implicate the Russian government. Meanwhile, talks with little Kim will be one strange thing if it happens at all.
Mike Pompeo has a lot on his plate. I suspect he is well prepared to take it on.
Regards,
Jim
I also think the only reason to object to the FIRST…WOMAN…CIA DIRECTOR…is sexism and probably racism too.
Should be interesting to hear the call from those former Never Trumpers who are now BALLS-and-strikes guys. Tillerson was the Order of Friendship wearing Putin sympathizer, right. Pompeo could have been Secretary of State in a Rubio, Cruz or Walker administration.
Hard strike on inside right, right? Let’s see. I’m betting the NT party line is “I told you that turmoil would …”
Maybe I’m misreading these, but they seem like reflexive snark.
Pompeo graduated first in his class at West Point, served in the Army on the Soviet tripwire and then in Iraq during the First Gulf War.
Pompeo returned to civilian life, entered law school and became editor of the Harvard Law Review.
So, yes, a best and top man.
It is possible to think that replacing Rex is a good move and that it was done in a bad way. Coverage I’m reading now says Tielerson found out through the tweet, which if true is not a good way to do things. I just hope Trump doesn’t go around hate tweeting at Tielerson like he did with Comey, another poorly handled firing.
But haven’t we had talk of Rexit for like six months now?
I just hope Rex’s tell all book come out soon, and he can now let us know for certain if he called Trump a moron or not. Fingers crossed for an entertaining and embarrassing break up.
What, pray tell, are those consequences, in this circumstances? Aside from you grousing about it?
Isn’t that enough for you? (:
Assuming that media commentary adds to, rather than subtracts from, a truthful view of the world is to be complicit in reinforcing the statist status quo. Is Politico a reliable narrator of how things actually are? No, obviously. So why cite it, or the NYT, or the WashPo, or any of the other outlets that the Editors habitually resort to when putting up a post about ‘breaking news’ when the primary sources are readily available?
To think that something is not Real News (TM) until it’s reported in a Real News Outlet (TM) is not helpful. I’m sure most people on this site do not think this is true. So why act as if it is?
I don’t think a Bolton nomination could get through the razor thin margin in the Senate. I suspect Flake and Corker (and is McCain still around?) would love to spike it on their way out the door.
I believe in face-to-face firings, but Tillerson was less than a team player. You reap what you sow. My guess is that he never should have taken the job.
Quake,
As opposed to Obama, I am assuming this can be verified.
Regards,
Jim
She has to be a Pompeo recommendation. For those concerned about 30 years of “deep state” experience, it’s the best way to know what the heck is going on over there. I think home run (allegations of “torture” notwithstanding).
So we elect a reality TV star whose catchphrase is “you’re fired!” and then act all surprised when he starts firing people?
Hasn’t fired Sessions yet…
Right. He only belittles him.
Ok, so in this case, there is no real consequence.