Did you know that Truthout is a nonprofit and independently funded by readers like you? If you value what we do, please support our work with a donation.
Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson will reportedly be President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for Secretary of State, but tea leaves in the Senate suggest it could be an uphill battle to get the oil baron confirmed.
During a briefing with reporters on Monday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) was upbeat about the prospect of Trump’s nominees thus far being approved, but dodged a question on the likelihood of a Tillerson confirmation.
“I don’t want to comment on a phantom nominee today,” he stated.
Tillerson’s ties to Russia, cultivated over years of doing oil business in the country, worry key Republican senators. At a time when suspicions of Moscow’s interference in last month’s election are on the minds of nearly everyone on Capitol Hill, Tillerson’s Kremlin connections could torpedo his nomination.
“The Russian are not our friends,” McConnell said Monday. “I hope that those who are going to be in positions of responsibility in the new administration share my view.”
Tillerson, though, is literally a friend of the Russian government. In 2012, he was awarded the Kremlin’s Order of Friendship honor. Tillerson also opposes the current sanctions regime on Russia, which, according to The New York Times, is costing his company upwards of a billion dollars.
Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee charged with studying Tillerson’s confirmation, had effusive words for the international businessman. “If it is Rex Tillerson, he is a very impressive individual,” Corker tweeted Saturday.
Assuming Democrats stand united against the nomination, all it would take is one Republican defection on the committee to wound the Tillerson pick. No Secretary of State has been confirmed by the Senate without first receiving the approval of the Foreign Relations Committee. Already, one GOP Senators on that panel has struck out at Tillerson.
“Being a ‘friend of Vladimir’ is not an attribute I am hoping for from a #SecretaryOfState,” Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) tweeted on Sunday.
During an interview on Fox on Sunday, another prominent Republican senator raised doubts the Exxon Mobile chief.
“I don’t know what Mr. Tillerson’s relationship with Vladimir Putin was, but I’ll tell you it is a matter of concern to me,” Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said.
Tillerson and Trump met for more than two hours at Trump Tower on Saturday. The President-Elect hasn’t made any confirmation yet about his pick to head the State Department, but during an interview with Fox News on Sunday, he did praise the CEO.
“He’s much more than a business executive,” Trump said. “He’s a world-class player.”
An urgent fundraising appeal: 4 Days to raise $30,000
Thank you for reading Truthout today. We have a brief message before you go —
Unfortunately, donations are down for Truthout at a time when media is under immense pressure. Trump is arresting journalists, Big Tech is censoring independent news, and economic conditions for media have been worsening for years.
Simultaneously, movement media is vital in the fight against Trump’s authoritarian reign. Our mandate to tell the truth, share strategies for resistance, and speak against fascism is ever more urgent in this deluge of political censorship. Yet, we are struggling to meet our publishing costs when our work is so urgently needed.
If you can support Truthout with a one-time or monthly donation, you will make a significant impact on our work. Please give today during our fundraiser (4 days left).