CNBC reports:
Rex Tillerson is out as secretary of State, ending a tumultuous tenure as America’s top diplomat that was marked by a series of public disagreements with his boss — President Donald Trump. Since Tillerson took the post in February 2017, mixed messages repeatedly came out of the White House and a State Department with diminishing relevance. The intramural clashes between the president and secretary of State came amid major international crises, including a potential nuclear showdown with North Korea.
The Washington Post has Trump’s statement:
“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.” The president continued, “Gina Haspel, the Deputy Director of the CIA, will be nominated to replace Director Pompeo and she will be the CIA’s first-ever female director, a historic milestone. Mike and Gina have worked together for more than a year, and have developed a great mutual respect.”
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
No wonder Tillerson felt free to speak clearly yesterday about Russia and its involvement in the spy poisoning in London. He was already fired. https://t.co/K3injqxMam
— Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) March 13, 2018
Tillerson knew he was fired before he made his comments about Putin yesterday
— Sam Stein (@samstein) March 13, 2018
Why was Tillerson fired? Lot of reasons, but this from yesterday clearly got a call from the Home Office in Moscow: pic.twitter.com/xK9aQs4MGO
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) March 13, 2018