The dismissal of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was a long time coming. His replacement, CIA Director Mike Pompeo, departs from Tillerson on the United States‘ approach to Iran.
As far as firings under President Donald Trump go, Rex Tillerson’s is not the most humiliating. That dishonor would have to go to former chief of staff Reince Priebus. He learned he was fired through three Trump tweets and soon after was decoupled from the president’s motorcade.
But Tillerson’s departure is nonetheless a slap in the face to a former CEO who advised and quarreled with a man who used to play one on TV. As Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy Steve Goldstein said in a statement Tuesday, „The secretary did not speak to the president this morning and is unaware of the reason, but he is grateful for the opportunity to serve.“ Ouch.
The truth is this was a long time coming. Inside the State Department, Tillerson’s allies have long whispered about the rumors of his imminent departure, referring to „Rexit.“ Trump himself acknowledged Tuesday before boarding Air Force One for California that he and Tillerson had been discussing him leaving since the summer. They just disagreed on too much.
Tillerson had a close relationship with Defense Secretary James Mattis. They usually met at least once a week and were often aligned on important foreign policy tussles inside the national security Cabinet. But over time, Tillerson found himself frozen out and in disagreement with the man who mattered most, Trump.
„When you look at the Iran deal, I think it’s terrible,“ Trump told reporters Tuesday. „I guess he thought it was OK.“ That’s important because Tillerson’s State Department is charged with prodding European allies to go along with fixes to the nuclear agreement ahead of the next deadline for Trump to certify Iran’s compliance.
Compare that with the man whom Trump has nominated to replace Tillerson, CIA Director Mike Pompeo. In his year leading the agency, Pompeo approved new authorities to target through intelligence operations leaders of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps. Inside the Cabinet, Pompeo argued against certifying Iranian compliance with the nuclear deal while Tillerson made the case for not rocking the boat.
