Rex Tillerson

Rex Wayne Tillerson (born March 23, 1952) is an American engineer and energy executive who served as the 69th United States Secretary of State from February 1, 2017, to March 31, 2018, under President Donald Trump.[1][2][3] Prior to joining the Trump administration, Tillerson was chairman and chief executive officer of ExxonMobil, holding that position from 2006 until 2017.

Rex Tillerson
69th United States Secretary of State
In office
February 1, 2017 – March 31, 2018
PresidentDonald Trump
DeputyJohn Sullivan
Preceded byJohn Kerry
Succeeded byMike Pompeo
Personal details
Born
Rex Wayne Tillerson

(1952-03-23) March 23, 1952
Wichita Falls, Texas, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)
  • Jamie Lee Henry
    ​
    ​
    (m. after 1974, divorced)​
  • Renda St. Clair
    ​
    (m. 1986)​
Children3
EducationUniversity of Texas at Austin (BS)
OccupationCEO of ExxonMobil (2006–2016)
President of the Boy Scouts of America (2010–2012)
AwardsEagle Scout (1965)
Order of Friendship (2013)
Dewhurst Award (2017)
Signature

Tillerson began his career as a civil engineer with Exxon in 1975 after graduating with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. By 1989 he had become general manager of the Exxon USA central production division. In 1995 he became president of Exxon Yemen Inc. and Esso Exploration and Production Khorat Inc. In 2006 Tillerson was elected chair and chief executive of Exxon, the world's sixth-largest company by revenue.[4][5] Tillerson retired from Exxon effective January 1, 2017.[6] He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering.[4]

Tillerson is a long-time volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America and earned the rank of Eagle Scout. From 2010 to 2012, he was the national president of the Boy Scouts, its highest non-executive position. He is a long-time contributor to Republican campaigns, but did not donate to Donald Trump's presidential campaign. In 2014, Tillerson, who had made business deals on behalf of Exxon with Russia, opposed the sanctions against Russia.[7] He has previously been the director of the joint United States-Russia oil company Exxon Neftegas.[8][9]

Tillerson became Secretary of State on February 1, 2017. An unconventional choice for the role, Tillerson's tenure was characterized by a lack of visibility in comparison to his predecessors in the traditionally high-profile position of Secretary of State.[10][11][12] During Tillerson's tenure, new applications to work for the Foreign Service fell by 50%, and 4 of the 6 career ambassadors as well as 14 of the 33 career ministers, equivalent to military's 4- and 3-star generals, departed.[13][14] After their relationship deteriorated, Trump dismissed Tillerson in March 2018, making his tenure one of the shortest in recent history. Tillerson was replaced by CIA director Mike Pompeo.[15][16]

Early life

Tillerson was born on March 23, 1952, in Wichita Falls, Texas, the son of Patty Sue (née Patton) and Bobby Joe Tillerson,[17] and named after Rex Allen and John Wayne, two Hollywood actors famous for playing cowboys.[18] He was raised in Vernon, Texas; Stillwater, Oklahoma; and Huntsville, Texas.[19][20] He has two sisters,[21] Rae Ann Hamilton, a physician who resides in Abilene, Texas,[22] and Jo Lynn Peters, a high school educator.[21] Tillerson's father was an executive of the Boy Scouts of America organization, and this led to his family's move to Huntsville.[23] Tillerson himself has been active in the Boy Scouts for most of his life, and in his youth he earned the rank of Eagle Scout.[24][25]

At age 14, he began to work as a bus boy in the student union building at Oklahoma State University.[26] Two years later in 1968 he became a janitor working in one of the engineering buildings at the university.[26] On weekends, he worked picking cotton.[18]

Tillerson graduated from Huntsville High School[23] in 1970.[20] He was a section leader for the percussion section of his high school band, in which he played the kettle drums and snare drum, and he earned spots in the all-district and all-region bands during his senior year.[23] Tillerson received a college scholarship from the University of Texas Longhorn Band.[18] He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 1975.[27] During his time at UT Austin, he was involved with the Tejas Club (an all-male secret society)[28] and the marching band.[28]

Business career

Exxon
Vice President Dick Cheney and Tillerson, 2007

Tillerson joined Exxon Company USA in 1975 as a production engineer.[4] In 1989, Tillerson became general manager of the central production division of Exxon USA. In 1995, he became President of Exxon Yemen Inc. and Esso Exploration and Production Khorat Inc.[4]

In 1998, he became a vice president of Exxon Ventures (CIS) and president of Exxon Neftegas Limited with responsibility for Exxon's holdings in Russia and the Caspian Sea. He then entered Exxon into the Sakhalin-I consortium with Rosneft.[18][29]

In 1999, with the merger of Exxon and Mobil, he was named executive vice president of ExxonMobil Development Company. In 2004, he became president and director of ExxonMobil.[30] Upon this appointment Tillerson's replacement of Lee Raymond as CEO of Exxon Mobil was implied.[31] His major competitor was Ed Galante, another Exxon executive.[32] On January 1, 2006, Tillerson was elected chairman and chief executive officer (CEO), following the retirement of Lee Raymond.[4] At the time, Exxon had 80,000 employees, did business in nearly 200 countries, and had an annual revenue of nearly $400 billion.[18]

Under Tillerson's leadership, ExxonMobil cooperated closely with Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter and a longtime U.S. ally; Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.[33] From 2003 to 2005, a European subsidiary of ExxonMobil, Infineum, operated in the Middle East providing sales to Iran, Sudan and Syria. ExxonMobil stated that they followed all legal framework and that such sales were minuscule compared to their annual revenue of $371 billion at the time.[34] In 2009, ExxonMobil acquired XTO Energy, a major natural gas producer, for $31 billion in stock. Michael Corkery of the Wall Street Journal wrote that "Tillerson's legacy rides on the XTO Deal."[35] Tillerson approved Exxon negotiating a multibillion-dollar deal with the government of Iraqi Kurdistan, despite opposition from President Barack Obama and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, both of whom argued it would increase regional instability.[18]

Tillerson lobbied against Rule 1504 of the Dodd–Frank reform and protections, which would have required Exxon to disclose payments to foreign governments.[18] In 2017, Congress voted to overturn Rule 1504 one hour before Tillerson was confirmed as Secretary of State.[18]

On January 4, 2017, The Financial Times reported that Tillerson would cut his ExxonMobil ties if he became Secretary of State.[36] Walter Shaub, the director of the United States Office of Government Ethics, said he was proud of the ethics agreement developed for Tillerson, who was now "free of financial conflicts of interest. His ethics agreement serves as a sterling model for what we'd like to see with other nominees."[37][38]

Ties with Russia
Tillerson with President Vladimir Putin and Igor Sechin, the head of state-controlled energy giant Rosneft, in Tuapse, 2012

As the CEO of ExxonMobil, Tillerson has ties with President Vladimir Putin of Russia.[8] They have been associates since Tillerson represented Exxon's interests in Russia, the world's largest producer of crude oil, during Russian President Boris Yeltsin's tenure.[39] Tillerson was responsible for the development of a partnership between Exxon and state-owned oil company Rosneft and the ultimately unsuccessful attempt to acquire a stake in Yukos, owned by Mikhail Khodorkovsky, before the firm was nationalized after Khodorkovsky's arrest.[40] John Hamre, the President and CEO of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, of which Tillerson is a board member, states that Tillerson "has had more interactive time with Vladimir Putin than probably any other American, with the exception of Dr. Henry Kissinger."[39]

Tillerson was a friend of Igor Sechin,[41] the Executive Chairman of Rosneft, the Russian state oil company, and leader of the Kremlin's Siloviki (security/military) faction,[42] who has been described as "Russia's second-most powerful person" after Putin.[43] Exxon owns a dacha next door to Sechin's and Tillerson would often visit him there.[18] Tillerson led Sechin on a tour of New York City, dining on caviar with him and Putin at the Per Se restaurant.[18] In 2006, Exxon avoided making any government concessions in its Sakhalin-I oil field after Royal Dutch Shell was forced to sell half of its ownership in Sakhalin-II by the Russian government.[18]

In August 2011, Putin attended a ceremony in Sochi where Tillerson and Sechin signed an agreement between ExxonMobil and Rosneft to drill the East-Prinovozemelsky field in the Arctic Ocean valued at up to $300 billion.[44][45] The Rosneft deal also gave the state-owned oil company a 30% stake in Exxon owned assets in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, Canada, and West Texas.[40] The company began drilling in the Kara Sea in the summer of 2014, and a round of sanctions against Russia introduced in September that year due to the Ukrainian crisis was to have brought the project to a halt in mid-September.[46][47] Nevertheless, the company was granted a reprieve that stretched the window to work until October 10, which enabled it to discover a major field with about 750 million barrels of new oil for Russia.[48] In July 2017, the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control fined ExxonMobil $2 million for violating sanctions in its dealings with Sechin, leading the company to sue the government.[49][50]

In 2013, Tillerson was awarded the Order of Friendship by Putin for his contribution to developing cooperation in the energy sector.[51][52][53]

In June 2017, Tillerson said Trump had asked him to "stabilize the relationship (with Russia) and build trust."[54]

Compensation

In 2012, Tillerson's compensation package was $40.5 million.[55] It was $28.1 million in 2013, $33.1 million in 2014, and $27.2 million in 2015.[56] In late 2016, Tillerson held $54 million of Exxon stock, and had a right to deferred stock worth approximately $180 million over the next 10 years.[57] Tillerson is estimated to be worth at least $300 million.[18] When he left Exxon, Tillerson was four months away from retirement, at which time he would have been entitled to a $180 million retirement package.[18] He owns two ranches in Texas, where his wife, Renda, raises cutting horses.[18]

On January 3, 2017, ExxonMobil announced they had reached an agreement with Tillerson "to sever all ties with the company to comply with conflict-of-interest requirements associated with his nomination as secretary of state."[58]

Wayne Tracker alias

While CEO of ExxonMobil, Tillerson used an alias email address "Wayne Tracker" for eight years and sent thousands of messages.[59] In response to a subpoena issued by the New York State Attorney General's Office (part of a state investigation into whether Exxon had misled investors and the public about climate change), Exxon produced about 60 emails associated with the "Wayne Tracker" account, but did not inform investigators that they were Tillerson's.[60] ExxonMobil stated that the account was "used for everyday business" needs such as "secure and expedited communications" between Tillerson and top company executives.[60][59]

Tillerson's use of the alias became publicly known in March 2017, after New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman wrote in a letter to a judge that Tillerson had used the "Wayne Tracker" email for at least seven years.[60] Later that month, Exxon revealed that emails from the alias account from September 2014 to September 2015 were missing; a further search recovered some emails, but none between September 5, 2014, and November 28, 2014. An attorney for Exxon said that a "unique issue" limited to that account led to emails being automatically deleted.[61][62]

Other affiliations

Tillerson is a trustee of the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the American Petroleum Institute.[63] He is also a member of the Business Roundtable.[4] In 2013, he became a member of the National Academy of Engineering.[64] He was a member of the executive committee of The Business Council for 2011 and 2012.[65]

Tillerson is a long-time volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), and from 2010 to 2012 was their national president, its highest non-executive position.[66][67] Tillerson is a Distinguished Eagle Scout, and his father was a BSA executive. Tillerson is a long-time supporter of the BSA and has said, "I think the highlight of my youth and adolescent years were my achievements in Scouting." In 2009, Tillerson was inducted into the Eagle Scout Hall of Fame of the Greater New York Councils.[68] Ray L. Hunt, a close friend and the Chairman of Hunt Consolidated, told the Dallas Morning News, "To understand Rex Tillerson, you need to understand Scouting."[67]

After the end of his term as BSA president, he remained on the organization's National Executive Board. There he played a significant role in the board's 2013 decision to rescind the long-standing ban on openly gay youth as members. According to Center for Strategic and International Studies president John Hamre, Tillerson was instrumental in the change and "a key leader in helping the group come to a consensus".[67][69]

On July 9, 2017, Tillerson received the Dewhurst Award from the World Petroleum Council in recognition for "outstanding contribution to the oil and gas industry" during his 41 years at Exxon Mobil.[70]

Secretary of State (2017–2018)

Nomination and confirmation
Tillerson at his confirmation hearing on January 11, 2017
Tillerson being sworn in as Secretary of State on February 1, 2017
Tillerson delivering welcome remarks at the State Department on his first official day as Secretary of State

Tillerson was first recommended to then-President-elect Trump for the Secretary of State role by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, during her meeting with Trump in late November 2016. Rice's recommendation of Tillerson to Trump was backed up by former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, three days later.[71] Media speculation that he was being considered for the position began on December 5, 2016.[72] On December 9, transition officials reported that Tillerson was the top candidate for the position, surpassing contenders such as Mitt Romney and David Petraeus.[73] His nomination was reportedly advocated by Steve Bannon and Jared Kushner.[74]

On January 20, 2017, shortly after being sworn in as President of the United States, Trump formally sent his nomination of Tillerson as Secretary of State to the United States Senate.[75] The Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved Tillerson's nomination 11–10, a strict party line vote, on January 23, 2017.[76]

The Senate confirmed Tillerson as Secretary of State on February 1, 2017. The Senate voted 56 to 43, with all 52 Republicans in support of his nomination as well as three Democrats and one independent.[77] He was sworn in on the same day by Vice President Mike Pence.[78]

The number of votes against Tillerson's confirmation was unusual for a Secretary of State, as the previous record for votes against a nominee for Secretary of State had been fourteen.[79]

Confirmation process
Voting body Vote date Vote results
Senate Committee on Foreign Relations January 23, 2017 11–10
Full Senate February 1, 2017 56–43

Tenure

On February 15, 2017, Tillerson embarked on his first overseas trip as Secretary of State to Bonn, Germany, meeting with foreign ministers from the G20.[80][81] In Bonn, Tillerson had meetings with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov of Russia and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson of the United Kingdom,[82] as well as his counterparts from Italy, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates.[83][84] Tillerson urged Russia to withdraw from eastern Ukraine, stating that "the United States will consider working with Russia when we can find areas of practical cooperation that will benefit the American people. Where we do not see eye to eye, the United States will stand up for the interests and values of America and her allies. As we search for new common ground, we expect Russia to honor its commitment to the Minsk agreements and work to de-escalate the violence in Ukraine." Tillerson also reaffirmed U.S. commitment to defending South Korea and Japan.[85]

Tillerson with Turkish President Erdoğan at the Presidential Complex in Ankara on March 30, 2017

Tillerson made his first visit to Mexico on February 23, 2017, traveling with Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Kelly. When meeting with Secretary of Foreign Affairs Luis Videgaray Caso of Mexico, Tillerson acknowledged differences between the U.S. and Mexico on views of border security, but also acknowledged the need for cooperation in addressing migration, as well as arms trafficking.[86][87] Tillerson recused himself from TransCanada's application for a presidential permit for the proposed Keystone XL pipeline.[88]

Before the inauguration, Tillerson selected Elliott Abrams to be the United States Deputy Secretary of State. In February 2017, they held an interview with President Trump in the Oval Office.[18] There, Tillerson contradicted the President's criticism of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, advising Trump of Exxon's success in refusing a bribe demand by Yemen's oil minister.[18] The next day, Fox News criticized Abrams, and Tillerson soon told Abrams he would not be nominated.[18]

Rex Tillerson with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

In mid-March 2017, Tillerson made his first trip to Asia, traveling to Japan, South Korea, and China.[89][90] Tillerson remarked that diplomatic efforts in the past 20 years to stop North Korea's nuclear development had "failed". Tillerson also stated the United States may need to take preemptive action, remarking "Certainly, we do not want things to get to a military conflict ... but obviously, if North Korea takes actions that threatens the South Korean forces or our own forces, then that would be met with an appropriate response. If they elevate the threat of their weapons program to a level that we believe that requires action, that option is on the table."[91][92]

On March 30, 2017, Tillerson met with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey. Turkey has criticized the United States over its support for Syrian Kurds.[93] In May, protestors and Erdoğan's bodyguards clashed outside of the Turkish Ambassador's Residence in Washington, D.C. Tillerson said that the incident was "outrageous" and that the Trump administration has expressed "dismay" over it. He said the administration would await the outcome of an investigation before taking further action.[94]

In mid-April 2017, Tillerson made his first trip to Russia as Secretary of State, meeting with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and President Vladimir Putin. At a news conference, Tillerson remarked that Russian–U.S. relations were at a "low point".[95][96] Tillerson also warned Russia of the risk of "becoming irrelevant in the Middle East" by continuing to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.[97]

Tillerson with Argentine President Mauricio Macri in Buenos Aires, February 2018

In May 2017, Tillerson joined Trump on the President's first overseas trip, with the first destination being Saudi Arabia.[98] While in Saudi Arabia, Tillerson held a joint press conference with Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir.[99]

In June 2017, Tillerson excluded Myanmar, Iraq, and Afghanistan from the list of countries that employ child soldiers in that year's Trafficking in Persons Report, rejecting the unanimous recommendations of staff.[100] Staff then circulated a memo in their Dissent Channel alleging that Tillerson's decision was in violation of the Child Soldiers Prevention Act.[101] In late November 2017, the topic garnered national attention when the State Department defended Tillerson's actions in the wake of an anonymous complaint by a State Department official to the State Department Inspector General and the distribution of supporting documents to the Inspector General and to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.[101][102][103][104]

Tillerson meeting with State Counsellor of Myanmar and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi on November 13, 2017

President Trump's 2018 United States federal budget sought to reduce the State Department's budget by 31%.[105] Tillerson froze most hiring and sought to remove 2,000 career diplomats by offering them $25,000 buyouts.[105] In June 2017, Tillerson told graduates of the Rangel and the Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowships that their offers to join the United States Foreign Service were rescinded and that they needed to repay the $85,000 scholarships or agree to work in temporary positions. Tillerson reversed that decision and allowed the graduates to become full Foreign Service Officers after being asked to do so by 31 members of Congress.[106] Applications to take the Foreign Service entrance exam dropped 50% that year.[105]

Tillerson and his staff fired career ambassadors Patrick F. Kennedy and Kristie Kenney, and attempted to remove Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who then retired.[105]

Tillerson selected Margaret Peterlin to be his Chief of Staff.[107][108] Tillerson is reported to have relied heavily on Peterlin, as well as his chief of policy, Brian Hook.[109][110] Tillerson attempted to centralize much decision making under the Policy Planning Staff.[111]

Tillerson initiated the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review, focusing on the State Department's organizational structure.[112] He contracted for management consulting from Deloitte and hired Insigniam to conduct a "listening tour" survey for $1 million.[113][112] Tillerson attempted to reduce inefficiencies within the State Department, though it was described as a "botched reorganization" that created a hollowed out and dysfunctional department, reportedly leading to micromanaging and poor morale among career diplomats.[114][110][115][109] He was praised for setting the right tone for diplomats.[116]

Tillerson meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, June 26, 2017
Tillerson greets King Salman of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, October 22, 2017

In November 2017, Tillerson said that recent Rohingya persecution in Myanmar was ethnic cleansing.[117]

Tillerson made a concerted effort to respond to the State Department's backlog of Freedom of Information Act requests that reached into Secretary Hillary Clinton's tenure, assigning mid level diplomats from every bureau to perform document review beside unpaid interns.[105]

By the end of November 2017, 10 of the top 44 political positions in the State Department had been filled.[105] A large number of Senior Foreign Service officers had resigned under Tillerson, with the number of career ambassadors and ministers dropping more than 50%, from 39 to 19, and the number of minister-counselors dropping 18% to 369.[105]

On March 13, 2018, Tillerson commented on the nerve gas poisoning in the United Kingdom of a former Russian spy and his daughter, calling it a "really egregious act" that clearly "came from Russia".[118][119]

Tillerson's assessment of Trump

In October 2017, news reports surfaced regarding a deteriorating relationship between Tillerson and Trump. According to reports,[120] in a July 20 meeting, Trump suggested a tenfold increase in the United States nuclear arsenal, which would cost trillions and take centuries,[121] after which individuals familiar with the meeting told journalists that Tillerson either called Trump a "moron"[122] or a "fucking moron".[123] Additionally, there were well-sourced reports of Tillerson offering to resign his office as Secretary of State, only to be discouraged from doing so by Vice President Mike Pence; however, these were officially denied by both Tillerson and the White House.[122][124] Furthermore, on October 1, Trump directly contradicted, via a public tweet, Tillerson's policy of negotiation with North Korea;[125][126] this move was widely panned by experts, who thought that such a public undermining of the chief diplomat of the United States would weaken Tillerson's ability to negotiate with other countries.[127][128] On October 10, after Tillerson's alleged "moron" comment was reported in the media, Trump challenged Tillerson to "IQ tests",[129] and three days later Senator Bob Corker from Tennessee, the Chair of the influential Senate Foreign Relations Committee who had become a vocal Trump critic around that time, remarked that Trump was "publicly castrating" Tillerson.[130]

Tillerson was reportedly angered by the political speech President Trump delivered at the 2017 National Scout Jamboree.[18]

After leaving the Trump Administration, Tillerson spoke to Bob Schieffer about his tenure: "It was challenging for me coming from the disciplined, highly process-oriented Exxon Mobil corporation, ... to go to work for a man who is pretty undisciplined, doesn't like to read, doesn't read briefing reports, doesn't like to get into the details of a lot of things, but rather just kind of says, 'This is what I believe.'"[131]

Speaking to members and staffers of the House Foreign Affairs Committee in May 2019, Tillerson said he and Trump "shared a common goal: to secure and advance America's place in the world and to promote and protect American values," but noted they do not share the same "value system". Asked to describe Trump's values, he replied, "I cannot."[132]

In May 2019, Tillerson privately discussed with members of Congress his frustration that during his tenure Trump's son-in-law and senior advisor Jared Kushner conducted discussions with foreign dignitaries without advising the State Department. In one instance, Tillerson entered a Washington restaurant and was asked by the owner if he wanted to meet with the Mexican foreign minister, who was dining with Kushner in the back of the restaurant; Tillerson was unaware the foreign minister was in Washington.[133]

Dismissal

According to the White House, Trump communicated with Tillerson on March 9 and told him he would be replaced.[134] Tillerson cut short a visit to Africa and returned to the United States on March 12. On March 13, Trump announced via a public tweet that Tillerson was out.[135] A spokesman for Tillerson, Steve Goldstein (the Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy), was quoted by The Washington Post that Tillerson did not know why he had been fired by Trump and only found out about his firing when he read Trump's tweet on the morning of March 13;[136] Goldstein, who was generally perceived within the White House as being anti-Trump,[137] was fired by the White House later that day, reportedly for contradicting the official account of Tillerson's dismissal.[138][139] A senior Trump administration official cited "upcoming North Korea talks and various trade negotiations" as the reason for replacing Tillerson.[140] Trump later told reporters that his differences with Tillerson came down to personal chemistry and disagreements on policy, adding that he and CIA director Mike Pompeo "have a very similar thought process".[141] The New York Times reported that Lebanese-American businessman George Nader turned Trump's major fundraiser Elliott Broidy "into an instrument of influence at the White House for the rulers of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates ... High on the agenda of the two men ... was pushing the White House to remove Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson".[142] UAE and Saudi Arabia lobbied Trump to fire Tillerson for not supporting the blockade of Qatar during the Qatar diplomatic crisis.[143] Robert Malley, former top Middle East adviser to President Barack Obama, said that "senior Qatari officials with whom I spoke were convinced—or at least acted as if they were convinced—that Saudi Arabia and the UAE had been planning a military attack on their country that was halted as a result" of Tillerson's intervention.[144]

John Sullivan, the Deputy Secretary of State, served as acting Secretary until March 31, when Tillerson formally left office.[145] Trump proposed Mike Pompeo (with whom Trump had a much more positive relationship) as Tillerson's successor and Gina Haspel as the new CIA director. Haspel was confirmed on May 17, 2018, making her the first female CIA director.[136] Tillerson's total time in office was 423 days, making him the shortest-serving Secretary of State since Lawrence Eagleburger (1992–93). The last time a president's first appointee to the position served for less time was in 1898, when John Sherman left office after 413 days.[146] Tillerson is also the only Secretary of State since at least 1945 to have been fired.[147]

In December 2018, President Trump called Tillerson "dumb as a rock" and "lazy as hell" after Tillerson held a speech where he described Trump as "pretty undisciplined". Tillerson said Trump "doesn't like to read, doesn't read briefing reports, doesn't like to get into the details of a lot of things". Trump made similar remarks again in May 2019 after Tillerson reportedly said Trump had been out-maneuvered in a meeting with Vladimir Putin.[148] Trump had previously lauded Tillerson, describing him as a "one of the truly great business leaders of the world" and a "world class player and dealmaker".[149][150]

Assessments of tenure

In March 2017, Robert Jervis of Columbia University wrote that Tillerson "had little impact on the Trump administration so far" and that his influence would continue to wane.[151] That same month, William Inboden of the University of Texas at Austin defended Tillerson, saying that he deserves more time.[152] Daniel W. Drezner of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University was highly critical of Tillerson, calling him an "unmitigated disaster",[153][154] and "the most incompetent Secretary of State in modern history."[155] Elliot Cohen of Johns Hopkins University said that Tillerson might be one of the weakest Secretaries of State in American history.[156] Elizabeth Saunders of George Washington University said that Tillerson's tenure had damaged the State Department "for a generation" and decreased America's ability to respond to major crisis.[13]

Political positions
Tillerson greets German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, Washington, D.C., February 2, 2017

In October 2017, Politico reported that Tillerson's major foreign policy positions include "urging the United States to stay in the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Paris climate accord, taking a hard line on Russia, advocating negotiations and dialogue to defuse the mounting crisis with North Korea, advocating for continued U.S. adherence to the Iran nuclear deal, taking a neutral position in the dispute between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and reassuring jittery allies, from South Korea and Japan to our NATO partners, that America still has their back".[157]

Russia and Saudi Arabia

In 2014, Tillerson expressed opposition to the sanctions against Russia in response to the annexation of Crimea at an Exxon shareholder meeting.[158] He told the meeting "We do not support sanctions, generally, because we don't find them to be effective unless they are very well implemented comprehensively and that's a very hard thing to do."[159] In 2016, Tillerson said that the US should have deployed military units to neighboring states next to Russia in a more "muscular" response.[160][161] In 2017, Tillerson said that Russia's annexation of Crimea was illegal.[162] He also compared China's controversial island-building in the South China Sea to Russia's annexation of Crimea.[163]

Tillerson and Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, Washington, D.C., March 23, 2017

During his Secretary of State confirmation hearings, Marco Rubio asked Tillerson if he would label Saudi Arabia as a "human rights violator". Tillerson declined to do so, saying: "When you designate someone or label someone, is that the most effective way to have progress be able to be made in Saudi Arabia or any other country?"[164] He supported the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen.[165]

Climate change and carbon tax

Tillerson announced in 2009 that ExxonMobil favored a carbon tax as "the most efficient means of reflecting the cost of carbon in all economic decisions—from investments made by companies to fuel their requirements to the product choices made by consumers".[166] In October 2016, less than two months before his nomination as Secretary of State, he reaffirmed that ExxonMobil believed a carbon tax would be "the best policy of those being considered. Replacing the hodge-podge of current, largely ineffective regulations with a revenue-neutral carbon tax would ensure a uniform and predictable cost of carbon across the economy ... allow market forces to drive solutions ... maximize transparency, reduce administrative complexity, promote global participation and easily adjust" to new knowledge in climate science and in the policy consequences of various courses of action.[167]

An article in The New York Times suggested that ExxonMobil's embrace of a carbon tax in October 2009 may have simply been an effort to avoid cap and trade legislation that was then being considered by the U.S. Congress as an alternative method of carbon pricing.[168] A Time magazine article in December 2016 asserted that since Tillerson announced his company's preference for a carbon tax, ExxonMobil "has not made a carbon tax a focus of its massive lobbying efforts and has supported a number of candidates and organizations that oppose measures to tackle the [climate change] issue".[169]

In 2010, Tillerson said that while he acknowledged that humans were affecting the climate through greenhouse gas emissions to some degree, it was not yet clear "to what extent and therefore what can you do about it".[170][171] At the 2020 Argus Americas Crude Summit, Tillerson further expressed doubt that humans could do anything to combat climate change.[172]

In 2012, Tillerson stated concerning climate change, that "there are much more pressing priorities that we as a—as a human being, race, and society need to deal with... you'd save millions upon millions of lives by making fossil fuels more available" to the world's poor, and that "It's an engineering problem and there will be an engineering solution."[173]

In 2016, Tillerson stated, "The world is going to have to continue using fossil fuels, whether they like it or not."[174]

Support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)
Tillerson with China's President Xi Jinping before their meeting in Beijing, March 19, 2017

In 2013, Tillerson outlined his support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), stating at the Global Security Forum: "One of the most promising developments on this front is the ongoing effort for the Trans-Pacific Partnership ... The 11 nations that have been working to lower trade barriers and end protectionist policies under this partnership are a diverse mix of developed and developing economies. But all of them understand the value of open markets to growth and progress for every nation."[175]

Tillerson, South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and Japanese Foreign Minister Tarō Kōno, August 7, 2017

Free trade

Speaking in March 2007 at a Council on Foreign Relations event, Tillerson said:

Should the United States seek so-called energy independence in an elusive effort to insulate this country from the impact of world events on the economy, or should Americans pursue the path of international engagement, seeking ways to better compete within the global market for energy? Like the Council's founders, I believe we must choose the course of greater international engagement ... The central reality is this: The global free market for energy provides the most effective means of achieving U.S. energy security by promoting resource development, enabling diversification, multiplying our supply channels, encouraging efficiency, and spurring innovation.[176]

Government regulation

In 2012, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Tillerson expressed his impatience with government regulation, stating "there are a thousand ways you can be told 'no' in this country."[177]

Tillerson with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte at Malacañang Palace in Manila, Philippines on August 7, 2017

Education

In September 2013, Tillerson wrote an op-ed piece in The Wall Street Journal defending Common Core.[178]

Republican campaign fundraising and donations

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Tillerson has made tens of thousands of dollars of political donations to Republican groups and candidates.[179] According to FEC records, he gave a total of $468,970 in contributions to Republican candidates and committees from 2000 to 2016.[180]

He has contributed to the political campaigns of George W. Bush,[179] as well as Mitt Romney in 2012, and Mitch McConnell.[181] He did not donate to Donald Trump's campaign.[179] He donated to Jeb Bush's campaign during the 2016 Republican primaries.[179][182]

Personal life
Tillerson and Renda St. Clair on February 1, 2017

Rex Tillerson has been married twice. He divorced Jamie Lee Henry, his first wife, with whom he has twin boys.[23][183] In 1986, Tillerson married Renda St. Clair, who has a son from her previous marriage.[183] Tillerson also has a son, born in 1988, with St. Clair.[183][184] Tillerson's twin sons are engineers and hold their bachelor's degrees from the Cockrell School of Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin.[23][64] In 2006, Tillerson was named a Distinguished Engineering Graduate.[27]

Tillerson resides in Bartonville, Texas.[185] Following his appointment as Secretary of State, Tillerson bought a home in Kalorama, Washington, D.C.[186]

He is a Congregationalist who holds a membership in the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches, a mainline Reformed denomination.[187][188] He and his wife donated between $5,000 and $10,000 to the denomination's The Congregationalist Magazine in 2012.[189][190]

On February 20, 2014, news outlets reported that Tillerson and his wife had joined opponents of a proposed water tower that could lead to fracking-related traffic near their homes. Plaintiffs included former U.S. House of Representatives Majority Leader Dick Armey and his wife.[191][192] The Tillersons dropped out of the lawsuit after a judge dismissed their claim in November 2014.[193]

In 2015, Tillerson was named as the 25th-most-powerful person in the world by Forbes.[22]

On May 16, 2018, Tillerson gave a graduation speech at Virginia Military Institute. In an apparent rebuke of President Trump, Tillerson warned that there is "a growing crisis in ethics and integrity."[194] "If our leaders seek to conceal the truth or we as people become accepting of alternative realities that are no longer grounded in facts, then we as American citizens are on a pathway to relinquishing our freedom."[195]

See also

References
  1. "Tillerson still secretary of state for now: White House". ABC News. March 13, 2018. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  2. Baker, Peter; Harris, Gardiner; Landler, Mark (March 13, 2018). "Trump Fires Rex Tillerson and Will Replace Him With C.I.A. Chief Pompeo". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  3. "Sacked Tillerson issues Russia warning". BBC News. March 14, 2018. Retrieved March 19, 2018. Although Mr Tillerson will not officially leave until 31 March, his deputy John Sullivan will take over running the state department pending the confirmation of Mr Pompeo.
  4. "Archive of ExxonMobil Biography of Rex W. Tillerson, Chairman and CEO". ExxonMobil Corporation. Archived from the original on August 23, 2016. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
  5. Schaefer, Steve (May 25, 2016). "The World's Largest Companies 2016". Forbes. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  6. "Rex Tillerson to Retire, Darren Woods Elected Chairman, CEO of ExxonMobil Corporation". ExxonMobil Corporation. December 14, 2016. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
  7. Plumer, Brad (December 14, 2016). "Rex Tillerson's potentially huge conflict of interest over Russia and oil, explained". Vox. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
  8. Scheck, Justin; Marson, James; Gold, Russell (December 13, 2015). "Global Deals That Made Exxon's CEO Now Pose Big Test". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  9. Harding, Luke; Munzinger, Hannes (December 18, 2016). "Leak reveals Rex Tillerson was director of Bahamas-based US-Russian oil firm". The Guardian.
  10. Sanger, David E. (March 11, 2017). "Tillerson Leads From State Dept. Shadows as White House Steps In". The New York Times.
  11. Toosi, Nahal (October 18, 2017). "State Dept. staffers have one question: Where's Rex?". Politico.
  12. Robbie Gramer & Dan de Luce (September 5, 2017). "Where's Rex?". Foreign Policy.
  13. Beauchamp, Zack (March 13, 2018). "Rex Tillerson has been fired. Experts say he did damage that could last 'a generation'". Vox. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
  14. Finnegan, Conor (November 30, 2017). "Critics see State Department in disarray despite Tillerson's defense". ABC News. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  15. "Trump sacks Rex Tillerson as state secretary". BBC News. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  16. Samuels, Brett (March 13, 2018). "Tillerson doesn't thank Trump in post-firing speech". The Hill. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  17. "Texas Birth Index, 1903–1997". FamilySearch Database. December 5, 2014. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
  18. Filkins, Dexter. "Rex Tillerson at the Breaking Point". The New Yorker (October 16, 2017). Retrieved November 23, 2017.
  19. Toosi, Nahal (January 11, 2017). "Who is Rex Tillerson?". Politico. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  20. The Alcalde. Emmis Communications. November 2007. p. 47. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
  21. Lord, Debbie (January 11, 2017). "Read Rex Tillerson's opening statement during the Senate confirmation hearing". Palm Beach Post. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  22. Bethel, Brian (December 13, 2016). "Tillerson's sister says he would do 'an incredible job'". Abilene Reporter News. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  23. Stark, Cody (December 23, 2016). "Huntsville High School graduate Rex Tillerson: 'An All-American kid'". The Huntsville. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
  24. Kirdahy, Matthew (September 4, 2007). "Teaching Leadership: Scouts Honor". Forbes. Retrieved September 5, 2007.
  25. Wendell, Bryan (December 13, 2016). "Eagle Scout Rex Tillerson named secretary of state". Scouting Magazine. Retrieved February 12, 2017.
  26. Hunter, Glenn (December 11, 2016). "Why Rex Tillerson, Down-to-Earth Texan, Might Make a Good Secretary of State". D Magazine. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  27. "2006 Distinguished Engineering Graduate: Rex W. Tillerson, B.S.C.E. 1975, Chairman and CEO, ExxonMobil Corporation". Cockrell School of Engineering, University of Texas.
  28. Barnhill, Ted (November 2007). "Distinguishing Features: The Distinguished Alumni of 2007". The Alcalde. Texas Exes. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
  29. Rogin, Josh (December 13, 2016). "Inside Rex Tillerson's long romance with Russia". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 26, 2017.
  30. Coll, Steve (December 11, 2016). "Rex Tillerson, from a Corporate Oil Sovereign to the State Department". The New Yorker. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  31. Koenig, David (February 27, 2004). "Exxon Mobil Names Heir Apparent for CEO". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
  32. Hoyos, Carola; Roberts, Dan (August 5, 2005). "Seamless transition to the top for the new 'Mr Exxon'". Financial Times. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
  33. "Rozen, Laura (December 13, 2016). "What Exxon's Rex Tillerson might mean as secretary of state". Al-Monitor. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017.
  34. Dorell, Oren (January 9, 2017). "ExxonMobil and Iran did business under secretary of State nominee Tillerson". USA TODAY.
  35. Corkery, Michael (December 14, 2009). "King Rex Tillerson's Legacy Rides on the XTO Deal". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved January 26, 2010.
  36. Crooks, Ed (January 4, 2017). "Tillerson set for $180m payout if confirmed as secretary of state". The Financial Times. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
  37. "Remarks of the Office of Government Ethics Director" (PDF) – via DocumentCloud.
  38. "Remarks of Walter M. Shaub, Jr., Director, U.S. Office of Government Ethics, as prepared for delivery at 4:00 p.m. on January 11, 2017, at the Brookings Institution" (PDF). The Brookings Institution. January 11, 2017. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
  39. Olson, Bradley (December 6, 2016). "Rex Tillerson, a Candidate for Secretary of State, Has Ties to Vladimir Putin". The Wall Street Journal.
  40. Mahanta, Siddhartha. "A Brief Guide to Rex Tillerson's Controversial Foreign Ties". The Atlantic. Retrieved July 2, 2017.
  41. Ioffe, Julia (December 10, 2016). "What It Really Means to Be a 'Friend of Putin'". Politico Magazine. Retrieved December 11, 2016.
  42. Hahn, Gordon (July 21, 2008). "The Siloviki Downgraded. In Russia's New Configuration of Power". Archived from the original on December 31, 2010. Retrieved December 11, 2016.
  43. Peleschuk, Dan. "Think it's just Putin who runs Russia? Guess again". CNBC. Archived from the original on December 25, 2014. Retrieved December 11, 2016.
  44. Parfitt, Tom; Rushe, Dominic (August 30, 2011). "ExxonMobil clinches Arctic oil deal with Rosneft". The Guardian. Retrieved November 26, 2017.
  45. Trefgarne, George (August 31, 2011). "Vladimir Putin plays for high stakes in the oil game". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on October 24, 2014. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
  46. Reed, Stanley; Krauss, Clifford (September 12, 2014). "New Sanctions to Stall Exxon's Arctic Oil Plans". The New York Times. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
  47. Williams, Cara (September 19, 2014). "ExxonMobil said to halt drilling in $700-million project in Russia". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
  48. Kramer, Andrew E.; Krauss, Clifford (December 12, 2016). "Rex Tillerson's Company, Exxon, Has Billions at Stake Over Sanctions on Russia". The New York Times. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  49. Paletta, Damian; Morello, Carol (July 21, 2017). "The strange legal battle that is pitting Trump's secretaries of the Treasury and State against each other". The Washington Post. p. A1. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
  50. "The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control Assesses a Civil Monetary Penalty Against ExxonMobil Corporation". treasury.gov (Press release). July 20, 2017. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
  51. "Meeting with energy company heads". Kremlin. June 21, 2013.
  52. "Rex Tillerson - the wild card diplomat". BBC News. February 1, 2017. Retrieved March 29, 2017.
  53. Torpey, Paul; Levett, Cath; Torpey, Paul; Levett, Cath. "Trump associates' links with Russia: what we know so far". Theguardian.com. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  54. Perry, Nick. "Tillerson Says Trump Asked Him to Re-Engage Russia". Time. Archived from the original on June 28, 2017. Retrieved July 2, 2017.
  55. Creamer, Robert (February 4, 2014). "The Blog: Jamie Dimon's Big Pay Raise – and the Minimum Wage". The Huffington Post. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  56. Mufson, Steve (April 29, 2016). "Profits are down at ExxonMobil, but don't cry for CEO Rex Tillerson". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 11, 2016.
  57. Neate, Rupert (December 17, 2016). "Donald Trump faces Senate backlash over 'cabinet of billionaires'". The Guardian.
  58. "ExxonMobil, Tillerson Reach Agreement to Comply with Conflict of Interest Requirements" (Press release). Exxon Mobil. January 3, 2017.
  59. Scheyder, Ernest (March 14, 2017). "Tillerson's email alias was prompted by business needs, Exxon says". Reuters. Retrieved March 20, 2017.
  60. Rex Tillerson 'used email alias' at Exxon to talk climate change, BBC News (March 15, 2017).
  61. "In the Matter of the Application of the People of the State of New York, by Eric T. Schneiderman, Index No. 451962/2016". New York State Unified Court System. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
  62. Berke, Jeremy. "Exxon admits it lost up to a year's worth of Rex Tillerson's 'Wayne Tracker' emails". Business Insider. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
  63. "Rex W. Tillerson – Center for Strategic and International Studies". csis.org. Retrieved December 11, 2016.
  64. "Tillerson Family Commits $5 Million to Cockrell School of Engineering, Bolsters Engineering Education and Research Center". University of Texas. April 15, 2014. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
  65. "The Business Council: Executive Committee 2011–2012". The Business Council. Archived from the original on July 22, 2012.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  66. "CEO of Exxon Mobil Named National Boy Scouts of America President". scoutingnews.org. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  67. James, Osbourne (September 1, 2014). "Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson an Eagle Scout to the core". Dallas News.
  68. Boy Scouts of America (October 28, 2009). "Boy Scouts Inducts Rex Tillerson, Chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil, Into Eagle Scout Hall of Fame". Boy Scouts of America (Press release). Archived from the original on December 16, 2016. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  69. Krauss, Clifford (December 11, 2016). "Rex Tillerson, an Aggressive Dealmaker Whose Ties With Russia May Prompt Scrutiny". The New York Times.
  70. "Rex Tillerson to receive WPC Dewhurst Award". World Petroleum Council. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  71. "ExxonMobil CEO Tillerson emerging as frontrunner for secretary of state". Henry C. Jackson, Josh Dawsey and Eliana Johnson, Politico. December 9, 2016.
  72. "Exxon CEO Now a Contender for Donald Trump's Secretary of State". The Wall Street Journal. December 5, 2016.
  73. "Exxon's Rex Tillerson Is Top Candidate for Secretary of State". The Wall Street Journal. December 9, 2016.
  74. Sanger, David E., Maggie Haberman & Clifford Krauss, "Rex Tillerson, Exxon Chief, Is Expected to Be Pick for Secretary of State", The New York Times, December 10, 2016.
  75. "Nominations Sent to the Senate". White House. January 20, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  76. Gaouette, Nicole. "Senate committee approves Tillerson for secretary of state". CNN.
  77. "PN25 Roll call confirmation vote". United States Senate. February 1, 2017. Retrieved February 1, 2017.
  78. "Remarks by President Trump and Vice President Pence at Swearing-In Ceremony for Secretary of State Rex Tillerson". February 1, 2017.
  79. Harris, Gardiner (February 1, 2018). "Rex Tillerson Is Confirmed as Secretary of State Amid Record Opposition". The New York Times. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
  80. Morello, Carol (February 15, 2017). "Tillerson in Germany on his first trip abroad as U.S. secretary of state". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  81. "Tillerson and Mattis in guarded approach to Russia". BBC News. February 16, 2017. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  82. Harris, Cardiner (February 16, 2017). "Rex Tillerson Meets Russian Counterpart in First Trip as Top U.S. Diplomat". The New York Times. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  83. "Tillerson arrives in Bonn amid questions over U.S. foreign policy". Reuters. February 15, 2017. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  84. "Meeting on Yemen". U.S. Department of State. February 16, 2017. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  85. Morello, Carol (February 16, 2017). "Tillerson, in diplomatic debut, urges Russia to pull back in eastern Ukraine". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  86. "As Kelly and Tillerson Visit Mexico, Their Reassurances Differ From Trump's Stance". The New York Times. February 23, 2017. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  87. "Mexican officials tell US: We don't agree". CNN. February 23, 2017. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  88. "State Dept Response to Greenpeace 9 March 2017.pdf". oge.app.box.com. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
  89. "Secretary of State Tillerson To Travel to Tokyo, Seoul, and Beijing". U.S. Department of State. March 7, 2017. Retrieved March 17, 2017.
  90. Crowley, Michael (March 15, 2017). "Tillerson's quiet trip to Asia". Politico. Retrieved March 17, 2017.
  91. Sanger, David (March 17, 2017). "Rex Tillerson Rejects Talks With North Korea on Nuclear Program". The New York Times. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  92. Griffiths, James; Hancocks, Paula; Field, Alexandra (March 17, 2017). "Tillerson on North Korea: Military action is 'an option'". CNN. Retrieved March 17, 2017.
  93. Wroughton, Lesley; Toksabay, Ece (March 30, 2017). "Tillerson tells frustrated Turks: U.S. faces tough choices in Syria". Reuters.
  94. "Tillerson waits on Turkey embassy brawl; McCain says 'look at the clip'". Fox News. May 21, 2017. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
  95. "Putin meets with Tillerson in Russia as Syria rift deepens". CNN. April 12, 2017. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
  96. Finnegan, Conor (April 12, 2017). "Tillerson says 'US-Russia relations at a low point' after meeting with Putin". ABC News. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
  97. Harris, Gardiner (April 11, 2017). "Tillerson Warns Russia on Syria, Saying Assad Era Is 'Coming to an End'". The New York Times. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
  98. Rucker, Philip; DeYoung, Karen (May 20, 2017). "Trump signs 'tremendous' deals with Saudi Arabia on his first day overseas". Washingtonpost.com. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  99. Rshill7 (May 20, 2017). "Rex Tillerson Joint Press Conference in Saudi Arabia". YouTube. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  100. Baumgaertner, Emily (November 22, 2017). "Tillerson Accused of Violating Federal Law on Child Soldiers". The New York Times. p. A11. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
  101. Szep, Jason; Spetalnick, Matt (2017). "U.S. diplomats accuse Tillerson of breaking child soldiers law". Reuters. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
  102. "Did Secretary of State Tillerson violate child soldiers law?", November 22, 2017, CBS News, retrieved November 23, 2017
  103. State Department employees split with Tillerson on child-soldiers list, November 21, 2017, The Washington Post, retrieved November 23, 2017
  104. "Does Rex Tillerson Support Using Child Soldiers?", November 21, 2017, Newsweek, retrieved November 23, 2017.
  105. Harris, Gardiner (November 25, 2017). "Diplomats Sound the Alarm as They Are Pushed Out in Droves". The New York Times. p. A1. Retrieved November 26, 2017.
  106. Harris, Gardiner (July 1, 2017). "State Dept. Restores Job Offers to Students After Diplomat Outcry". The New York Times. p. A11. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
  107. "Chief of Staff: Margaret Peterlin". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  108. Wadhams, Nick (May 31, 2017). "Tillerson's Enigmatic Chief of Staff Wields Power, Not the Spotlight". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on May 31, 2017.
  109. Johnson, Eliana; Crowley, Michael (June 4, 2017). "The bottleneck in Rex Tillerson's State Department". Politico. Retrieved June 4, 2017.
  110. Harris, Gardiner (August 7, 2017). "Diplomats Question Tactics of Tillerson, the Executive Turned Secretary of State". The New York Times. p. A1.
  111. Gramer, Robbie; De Luce, Dan; Lynch, Colum (July 31, 2017). "How the Trump Administration Broke the State Department". Foreign Policy. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
  112. Wadhams, Nick (October 26, 2017). "How Rex Tillerson Is Remaking the State Department". Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
  113. Tracy, Abigail (August 20, 2017). "The State Department Is "Being Destroyed from Within"". Vanity Fair. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
  114. "Rex Tillerson's agonies". The Economist. October 5, 2017.
  115. Chollet, Derek (August 4, 2017). "Why Has Rex Tillerson Belly-Flopped as Secretary of State?". Foreign Policy. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
  116. Rupp, Kelsey (February 6, 2017). "Secretary of State Rex Tillerson sets the right tone for US diplomats". Thehill.com. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  117. Landler, Mark (November 23, 2017). "Myanmar's Crackdown on Rohingya Is Ethnic Cleansing, Tillerson Says". The New York Times. p. A13. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
  118. Williams, Abigail; Elbaum, Rachel (March 13, 2018). "Tillerson says U.K. spy poisoning 'clearly' came from Russia". NBC News. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  119. "Tillerson: Nerve agent used to poison ex-spy "clearly came from Russia"". CBS News. March 12, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  120. "Trump wanted dramatic increase in nuclear arsenal in military meeting". NBC News. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
  121. Kevin Liptak; Dan Merica; Jeff Zeleny; Elise Labott. "Tense and difficult meeting preceded Tillerson's 'moron' comment". CNN. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
  122. "Tillerson's fury at Trump required an intervention from VP Pence". NBC News. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
  123. Kaplan, Fred (October 11, 2017). "Trump's Nuclear Meltdown". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
  124. Tracy, Abigail (October 3, 2017). "Is 'Rexit' Looming?: Tillerson Is Throwing Off Trump's Shackles". Vanity Fair. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
  125. Trump, Donald J. (October 1, 2017). "I told Rex Tillerson, our wonderful Secretary of State, that he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man ..." @realDonaldTrump. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
  126. Trump, Donald J. (October 1, 2017). "... Save your energy Rex, we'll do what has to be done!". @realDonaldTrump. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
  127. "'Save your energy, Rex': Trump tweet undermines Tillerson on N. Korea talks". NBC News. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
  128. Baker, Peter; Sanger, David E. (October 1, 2017). "Trump Says Tillerson Is 'Wasting His Time' on North Korea". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
  129. Rucker, Philip (October 10, 2017). "Trump proposes 'IQ tests' faceoff with Tillerson after secretary of state calls him a 'moron'". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
  130. "Corker unloads on Trump for trying to 'castrate' Tillerson". POLITICO. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
  131. Blake, Aaron. "Rex Tillerson on Trump: 'Undisciplined, doesn't like to read' and tries to do illegal things". The Washington Post. 7 December 2018. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
  132. Hudson, John; Dawsey, Josh (May 22, 2019). "Putin out-prepared Trump in key meeting, Rex Tillerson told House panel". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  133. Kylie Atwood and Zachary Cohen. "Tillerson reveals frustrations about Kushner working behind his back". CNN.
  134. Savransky, Rebecca (March 13, 2018). "Trump removes Tillerson at State". TheHill. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  135. Trump, Donald J. (March 13, 2018). "[5:44 AM] 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!". @realDonaldTrump. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  136. Trump ousts Tillerson, will replace him as secretary of state with CIA chief Pompeo, Ashley Parker and Philip Rucker, The Washington Post, March 13, 2018.
  137. ""State Department Steve" fired after Tillerson ouster". Axios. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  138. "The Latest: Schumer says White House chaos hurts America". Associated Press. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  139. Atwood, Kylie (March 13, 2018). "Trump fires Steve Goldstein, a top Tillerson deputy, in State Department shake-up". CBS News.
  140. Nicole Gaouette, Kaitlan Collins and Dan Merica (March 13, 2018). "Trump fires Tillerson, taps Pompeo as next secretary of state". CNN.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  141. "Trump fires Tillerson as secretary of state". BBC News. March 13, 2018.
  142. "How 2 Gulf Monarchies Sought to Influence the White House". The New York Times. 21 March 2018.
  143. "UAE linked to efforts to get Donald Trump to fire Rex Tillerson over Qatar support, reveal emails". The Independent. March 6, 2018.
  144. "Saudi Arabia Planned to Invade Qatar Last Summer. Rex Tillerson's Efforts to Stop It May Have Cost Him His Job". The Intercept. August 1, 2018.
  145. Greenwood, Max (March 13, 2018). "Tillerson says last day at State will be March 31". The Hill.
  146. Eric Ostermeier (March 18, 2018). "Rex Tillerson's Historically Short Tenure As Secretary of State". Smart Politics.
  147. Miller, Aaron David (March 13, 2018). "Longtime diplomat: Tillerson's public firing makes my head explode". CNN.
  148. Siegel, Benjamin; Parkinson, John (May 23, 2019). "Trump again calls Tillerson 'dumb as a rock' after he's quoted saying Putin 'out-prepared' him". ABC News. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  149. "Trump calls Rex Tillerson 'dumb as a rock', 'lazy as hell' after Texan criticizes former boss". Dallas News. December 7, 2018. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
  150. Zurcher, Anthony (December 7, 2018). "How Trump feud with 'dumb' Tillerson erupted". BBC News. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
  151. "Rex Tillerson Might Be the Weakest Secretary of State Ever". Foreign Policy. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  152. Inboden, Will (March 14, 2017). "Give Rex Tillerson a Chance". Foreign Policy.
  153. Drezner, Daniel W. (October 18, 2017). "Perspective | The sooner Rex Tillerson resigns as secretary of state the better". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  154. Drezner, Daniel W. (August 31, 2017). "Perspective: Why Secretary of State Rex Tillerson should resign". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  155. Drezner, Daniel W. (March 13, 2018). "Perspective | Five thoughts about the firing of Rex Tillerson". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  156. Mary Louise Kelly interview with Elliot Cohen (September 19, 2017). "Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Faces a New Onslaught of Criticism". Morning Edition. NPR.
  157. Aaron David Miller and Richard Sokolsky, "Should Rex Tillerson Resign?", Politico October 1, 2017
  158. "Exxon considers its course after sanctions hit Russian ambitions". Financial Times. September 30, 2014.
  159. "How Exxon CEO Tillerson feels about sanctions (and other Secretary-related matters)". Biz Journals. December 6, 2016.
  160. Matthew Lee (January 12, 2017). "Trump's pick for top diplomat takes tough line on Moscow". Yahoo. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
  161. "Rex Tillerson: U.S. response to Russia Crimea seizure was 'weak'". The Washington Times. January 11, 2017. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
  162. "Rex Tillerson takes tough line on Russian hacking in tense hearing". The Washington Times. January 11, 2017.
  163. "South China Sea: China media warn US over 'confrontation'". BBC News. January 13, 2017.
  164. "Tillerson won't label Saudi Arabia a human rights violator". The Washington Post. January 11, 2017.
  165. "Rex Tillerson Wants to Provide Saudi Arabia With More Help to Bomb Yemen". The Intercept. January 12, 2017.
  166. "ExxonMobil and the carbon tax". ExxonMobil.com. December 2, 2015.
  167. Tillerson, Rex (October 19, 2016). The Path Forward in Today's Energy Environment (Speech). 37th Annual Oil and Money Conference. London, England. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
  168. Schwartz, John (December 28, 2016). "Tillerson Led Exxon's Shift on Climate Change; Some Say 'It Was All P.R.'". The New York Times. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  169. Worland, Justin (December 14, 2016). "What Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State Would Mean for Climate Change". Time. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
  170. "THE EXXONMOBIL-XTO MERGER: IMPACT ON U.S. ENERGY MARKETS" (PDF). Gpo.gov. Retrieved December 11, 2016.
  171. Schwartz, John (August 19, 2016). "Exxon Mobil Fraud Inquiry Said to Focus More on Future Than Past". The New York Times. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  172. Adams-Heard, Rachel; Rathi, Akshat; Carroll, Joe (February 4, 2020). "Rex Tillerson Questions Human Role in Halting Climate Change". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on February 5, 2020. “With respect to our ability to influence it, I think that’s still an open question,” Tillerson said Tuesday at the Argus Americas Crude Summit. “Our belief in the ability to influence it is based upon some very, very complicated climate models that have very wide outcomes.”
  173. Tillerson, Rex. "CEO Speaker Series: A Conversation with Rex W. Tillerson". The Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  174. Schlanger, Zoe (May 26, 2016). "Is Exxon Waiting for the Paris Climate Agreement to Fail?". Newsweek.
  175. Betsy Woodruff, "Trump's Secretary of State Favorite Rex Tillerson Praised TPP", December 12, 2016, The Daily Beast.
  176. Denning, Liam (December 7, 2016). "Mr. Exxon Goes to Washington (Maybe)". Bloomberg L.P.
  177. Coll, Steve (April 9, 2012). "Gusher: The Power of ExxonMobil". The New Yorker.
  178. Tillerson, Rex (September 5, 2013). "How to Stop the Drop in American Education". The Wall Street Journal.
  179. Mitchell, Andrea. "Rex Tillerson of ExxonMobil Expected to Be Named Trump's Secretary of State: Sources". NBC News. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  180. "Rex Tillerson Political Campaign Contributions". Campaign Money. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
  181. "Where CEO political dollars go – Rex Tillerson (2)". Fortune. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
  182. Lavelle, Marianne (July 22, 2016). "Fossil Fuel Money Still a Dry Well for Trump Campaign". InsideClimate News. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
  183. Steve Coll (May 1, 2012). Private Empire: ExxonMobil and American Power. Penguin Publishing Group. p. 137. ISBN 978-1-101-57214-6. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
  184. Cordon, Matthew C. "Rex W. Tillerson biography". Encyclopedia of Business, 2nd ed. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
  185. Evans, Candy (December 16, 2016). "Rex Tillerson Bought the Late Charles Wyly's Equestrian Ranch in Argyle: Horse Country Just Got Hotter". CandysDirt.com. Retrieved March 29, 2017.
  186. Freed, Benjamin (February 22, 2017). "Rex Tillerson Buys $5.6 Million Kalorama Home". The Washingtonian. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  187. Silk, Mark (December 14, 2016). "Rex Tillerson, Establishment Protestant secretary of state". Religious News Service. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
  188. Coll, Steve (2012). Private Empire: ExxonMobil and American Power. Penguin. p. 569. ISBN 9781101572146 – via Internet Archive.
  189. "Honor Roll of Distinguished Individual Donors" (PDF). The Congregationalist. 165 (3): 7. September 2013.
  190. "Donations". The Congregationalist. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
  191. Richter, Marice (February 26, 2014). "Exxon Mobil CEO welcomes fracking, but not water tower in his backyard". Reuters.
  192. Gilbert, Daniel (February 20, 2014). "Exxon CEO Joins Suit Citing Fracking Concerns". The Wall Street Journal.
  193. Sakelaris, Nicholas (April 21, 2014). "Rex Tillerson drops out of water tower lawsuit in Bartonville". Dallas Business Journal. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  194. Quint Forgey (May 16, 2018). "Tillerson warns of ethical crisis among U.S. leaders in speech". Politico.com. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  195. Greenwood, Max (May 16, 2018). "Tillerson warns military grads of 'growing crisis in ethics and integrity'". TheHill.

Further reading
Business positions
Preceded by
Lee Raymond		 Chief Executive Officer of ExxonMobil
2006–2016		 Succeeded by
Darren Woods
Boy Scouts of America
Preceded by
John Gottschalk		 President of the Boy Scouts of America
2010–2012		 Succeeded by
Wayne M. Perry
Political offices
Preceded by
John Kerry		 United States Secretary of State
2017–2018		 Succeeded by
Mike Pompeo
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.