Trump taps Tillerson for secretary of state, rejecting Russia ties

NEW YORK — President-elect Donald Trump announced on Tuesday he has settled on ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson to be secretary of state, saying that he’s “among the most accomplished business leaders and international deal makers in the world.” “Rex Tillerson’s career is the embodiment of the American dream. Through hard work, dedication and smart deal making, Rex rose through the ranks to become CEO of ExxonMobil, one of the world’s largest and most respected companies,” the billionaire real estate mogul said in a predawn news release from Trump Tower in New York. “Rex knows how to manage a global enterprise, which is crucial to running a successful State Department,” Trump said of his latest — and much-discussed — Cabinet pick. In an accompanying statement, Tillerson said he was “honored” by his selection and shares Trump’s “vision for restoring the credibility of the United States’ foreign relations and advancing our country’s national security.” Trump also said that as the nation’s top diplomat, Tillerson would be a “a world-class leader” working on behalf of the American people. Tillerson, however, has close ties to Russia, and his selection sets up a potential Senate confirmation fight. China’s foreign ministry spokesman said that Beijing was looking forward to working with the new secretary of state. “No matter who will become US secretary of state, China is looking forward to working together with him to push forward greater progress of the bilateral relationship on a new starting point,” the spokesman, Geng Shuang, said Tuesday at a regular briefing. Trump brushed aside concerns about Tillerson’s close ties to Moscow in bringing the long secretary of state audition process to an end. Tillerson has connections with Russian President Vladimir Putin. And on Capitol Hill, leading Republicans have already expressed anxieties about Tillerson, as they contend with intelligence assessments saying Russia interfered with the US presidential election to help Trump. But two meetings with the oil executive impressed Trump, who called Tillerson a “world class player” in an interview on “Fox News Sunday.” In the Sunday interview, Trump pointed to Tillerson’s deep relations with Moscow as a selling point. As ExxonMobil’s head, he maintained close ties with Russia and was awarded by President Vladimir Putin with the Order of Friendship in 2013, an honor for a foreign citizen. For weeks, Trump has teased out the decision process publicly, often exposing rifts in his organization. He also considered former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a one-time vocal Trump critic, and Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, who leads the Foreign Relations Committee. Romney wrote on Facebook on Monday that it “was an honor to have been considered” for the job. The unconventional vetting procedures are in keeping with Trump’s presidential style thus far, unconcerned with tradition or business as usual. In recent weeks, he’s attacked CIA intelligence, spoken to the leader of Taiwan and has continued his late-night Twitter tirades. Making yet another nontraditional choice, Trump heads out on Tuesday for another week of travel, starting with a rally in Wisconsin. — AP