Trump: Tillerson Qualified For Secretary Of State Because Exxon “Does Massive Deals In Russia”

GOP Senators Raise Concerns About Potential Nominee’s Ties To Putin

ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson, the favorite to be nominated by President-elect Donald Trump for secretary of state, would be the first person with no government experience to serve as the nation’s chief diplomat. 

Tillerson has spent his entire professional career working for ExxonMobil, the world’s largest oil company, which he joined in 1975. However, Trump maintained on Sunday that Tillerson is qualified to serve as secretary of state in part because “he does massive deals in Russia.” 

The president-elect made the comments in response to a question from Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace, who asked why it makes sense to appoint a business executive to lead the Department of State. 

“Well, in his case, he’s much more than a business executive,” Trump said. “I mean, he’s a world-class player. He’s in charge of an oil company that’s pretty much double the size of his next serious competitor. It’s been a company that’s been unbelievably managed. And to me, a great advantage is he knows many of the players, and he knows them well. He does massive deals in Russia. He does massive deals for the company — not for himself — for the company.”

Tillerson has close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who in 2012 presented the Exxon CEO with the Order of Friendship decoration, one of country’s highest civilian honors.

A day before Tillerson emerged as the favorite for secretary of state, The Washington Post reported on the CIA’s conclusion that Russia interfered in the presidential election to help Trump win. 

Trump has dismissed the report as “ridiculous,” calling it another “excuse” by Democrats for his victory. However, Tillerson’s close ties to Russia are already drawing attention from Republican senators, casting doubt on whether he could be confirmed. 

“I don’t know the man much at all, but let’s put it this way: If you received an award from the Kremlin, [an] Order of Friendship, then we’re gonna have some talkin’,” South Carolina GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham said, according to the Post. “We’ll have some questions. I don’t want to prejudge the guy, but that’s a bit unnerving.”

“I don’t know what Mr. Tillerson’s relationship with Vladimir Putin was, but I’ll tell you it is a matter of concern to me,” Arizona GOP Sen. John McCain said on Fox News on Saturday. “I’d have to examine it. You want to give the president of the United States the benefit of the doubt because the people have spoken. But Vladimir Putin is a thug, bully and a murderer, and anybody else who describes him as anything else is lying.”

Florida GOP Sen. Marco Rubio wrote on Twitter, “Being a ‘friend of Vladimir’ is not an attribute I am hoping for from a #SecretaryofState.”