Remember those “rumors” about how Rex Tillerson wasn’t going to be leaving his post as Secretary of State after months of speculation?
And remember how furious Trump was when NBC reported that America’s top diplomat once called the President a “fucking moron” after the leader of the free world suggested that the country should increase its nuclear arsenal “tenfold” just because he didn’t like the look of a downward sloping chart?
Yeah, well Tillerson is out, to no one’s surprise.
Here’s the Washington Post:
President Trump has ousted Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and replaced him with CIA Director Mike Pompeo, orchestrating a major change to his national security team amid delicate negotiations with North Korea, White House officials said Tuesday.
Trump last Friday asked Tillerson to step aside, and the embattled top diplomat cut short his trip to Africa on Monday to return to Washington.
Pompeo will replace him at the State Department, and Gina Hapsel – the deputy director at the CIA – will succeed him at the CIA, becoming the first woman to run the spy agency, if confirmed.
In a statement issued to The Washington Post, Trump praised both Pompeo and Haspel.
“I am proud to nominate the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Mike Pompeo, to be our new Secretary of State,” Trump said. “Mike graduated first in his class at West Point, served with distinction in the U.S. Army, and graduated with Honors from Harvard Law School. He went on to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives with a proven record of working across the aisle.”
Mike Pompeo, Director of the CIA, will become our new Secretary of State. He will do a fantastic job! 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!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 13, 2018
Again, this isn’t a surprise. In fact, the plan to replace Tillerson with Pompeo was reported back in November.
As far as Pompeo goes, you’re reminded that he met with a conspiracy theorist in October at Trump’s request and as the Times wrote, he’s been variously criticized by the intelligence community for being too political. So I guess heading up State is a better fit for him.
“I am deeply grateful to President Trump for permitting me to serve as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency and for this opportunity to serve as Secretary of State,” Pompeo said in a statement.
This is just the latest bit of evidence to support the contention that this administration is completely off the rails and Rex – as deadpan and useless as he was – seemed to be some semblance of sane, which is a characteristic not befitting of anyone who is permitted to serve in this White House.
Additionally, Tillerson said on Monday that the Kremlin was definitely responsible for poisoning a former Russian spy in the U.K. – maybe that was his sendoff “fuck you” message to Trump.
Oh, and it’s hilarious that this comes just as the North Korea meeting is on deck. After all, it was Tillerson who tried to negotiate with Pyongyang back in October, only to have Trump tweet-shame him:
I guess we’ll never know who would have won that IQ test challenge.
TRUMP SAYS HE THINKS TILLERSON `MUCH HAPPIER NOW'
— Heisenberg Report (@heisenbergrpt) March 13, 2018
TRUMP SAYS HE, TILLERSON DISAGREED ON IRAN
— Heisenberg Report (@heisenbergrpt) March 13, 2018
So does Sergey Kislyak get the CIA job?
— Pedro da Costa (@pdacosta) March 13, 2018
#RexTillerson best moments. pic.twitter.com/d8WeBAwW4J
— Pedro da Costa (@pdacosta) March 13, 2018
That’s what you get for saying “spy poisoning ‘clearly’ came from Russia”
That comment came after he was asked to resign. Probably felt liberated to say whatever he wanted at that point.
Now we get to see whether or not the U.K. invokes article 5 of the NATO treaty in response to the Russians using a chemical weapon on U.K. soil. If Trump refuses to honor our commitment to our NATO allies, it could be the end of NATO as we know it.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/13/politics/rex-tillerson-secretary-of-state/index.html
“Goldstein said Tillerson was notified of the official termination in Trump’s tweet Tuesday morning.”
I love this one, my poor dog Rex, it was best to put him out of his misery.
“I think Rex will be much happier now,” Trump said.
One step closer to war with Iran
Fritz-you hit the nail on the head, these fools have been spoiling for an Iran dust-up and now they probably will. Oil price spike coming, death to follow.
“I am proud to nominate the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Mike Pompeo, to be our new Secretary of State,” Trump said. “Mike graduated first in his class at West Point, served with distinction in the U.S. Army, and graduated with Honors from Harvard Law School. He went on to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives with a proven record of working across the aisle.”
Well, he can kiss all those proud accomplishments good-bye — as with ALL that have worked with trump, he will be ruined and his reputation will forever be tainted.
At least Tillerson can retire with his capital gains tax free stock sales from a year ago.
All Things Trump Explained
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2018/03/12/doctors-find-air-pocket-where-part-of-mans-brain-should-be/