WASHINGTON, Dec 11 (APP): Rex Tillerson, the chief executive of
Exxon Mobil, is expected to be picked up as next US Secretary of State by President-elect Donald Trump, a Washington Post report said on Saturday.
Tillerson is said to be have been worked extensively around the globe
and built relationship by leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, the report said quoting three people close to the transition team constituted by Mr. Trump to help form the cabinet.
Even before his nomination, two leading senators from Trump’s
Republican party, Senator John McCain, Chairman of the Senate’s Armed Services committee, and Senator Lindsey Graham, have voiced concern about the expected nominee because of his ties to Putin, the report said.
According to the report, John R. Bolton, a former ambassador to the
United Nations, is being considered as a nominee for the Deputy Secretary of State.
Many names had been circulating for the coveted post of Secretary of
State, including Mitt Romney, the 2012 GOP presidential nominee, who opposed Trump during his election campaign, and faced tough opposition within the Trumps transition team.
Other contenders included former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Tillerson twice met Mr. Trump this week and, according to people close
to the President-elect, he is being considered because of his personal relations to many foreign leaders through his business dealings.
In an interview, excerpt of which was shown on Fox News, Mr. Trump
highly praised the Exxon Chief Executive. He’s much more than a business executive; he’s a world-class player He knows many of the players, and he knows them well.
Tillerson’s close ties to Putin could also become a flash point
during confirmation hearings, especially in light of a recent CIA assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Trump win the presidency, the report said.
