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Donald Trump administration Secretary of State appointment, 2017
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Following his election as the 45th President of the United States in 2016, Donald Trump and his transition team considered individuals to fill the position of Secretary of State. The secretary of state is the top adviser to the president on foreign policy. The duties of the secretary of state include but are not limited to advising the president on diplomatic representatives; negotiating, interpreting and terminating treaties and international agreements; and representing the U.S. in international conferences, organizations and agencies. Rex Tillerson was nominated for the position on December 12, 2016, and was confirmed on February 1, 2017.
| Nomination tracker | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate: Rex Tillerson | ||
| Position: Secretary of State | ||
| Confirmation progress | ||
 | Announced: | December 12, 2016 |
| Hearing: | January 11, 2017 |
| Committee: | Senate Foreign Relations Committee |
| Reported: | January 23, 2017 11-10 |
| Confirmed: | February 1, 2017 |
| Vote: | 56-43 |
To read more about the U.S. Department of State and its current staff, click here.
Timeline
- See also: Rex Tillerson
The following timeline highlights noteworthy events related to this appointment.
- December 12, 2016: Trump nominated Rex Tillerson for the position.[1]
- January 11, 2017: Tillerson appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for a confirmation hearing.[2]
- February 1, 2017: The U.S. Senate voted 56-43 to confirm Tillerson.[3]
Confirmation hearing
The following are highlights from Tillerson's confirmation hearing:
- During his confirmation hearing, Tillerson was asked if he shared Trump’s opposition to trade deals like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), Tillerson said, “I do not oppose TPP. I share some of his views regarding whether the agreement that was negotiated serves all of America’s interests the best.”[4]
- During the 2016 campaign, Trump proposed a temporary ban on Muslims from entering the U.S. as well as more stringent vetting practices for individuals from countries with a history of terrorism. When asked if he would support restrictions on Muslims entering the country, Tillerson said, “I think what's important is that we are able to make a judgment about the people that are coming into the country and so no, I do not support a blanket type rejection of any particular group of people, but clearly, we have serious challenges.”[4]
- Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) asked Tillerson if he would support sanctions against a country in reaction to cyberattacks on the U.S. Tillerson responded, “I would certainly want to examine all the four corners of that. … The threat of cyberattacks is a broad issue and they are coming from many, many corners of the world. Certainly this most recent manifestation, and I think the new threat imposed, in terms of how Russia has used this as a tool that introduces even another element of threat, but cyberattacks are occurring from many nations.” Rubio interjected, saying, “No matter where they come from, if they come from Belgium, if they come from France, if someone is conducting cyberattacks against the United States and we pass a law that authorizes the president to sanction them, or actually imposes these sanctions as mandatory, would you advise the president to sign it?” Tillerson said, “I think it is that second element, senator, that you just described that leaves the executive branch no latitude or flexibility in dealing with the broad array of cyber threats. I think it is important that those be dealt with on a country-by-country basis taking all other elements in the relationship. So giving the executive the tool is one thing, requiring the executive to use it without any other considerations I would have concerns about."[4]
- Rubio then asked Tillerson if he thought that Russian President Vladimir Putin was a war criminal. Tillerson responded, “I would not use that term.” When pressed further on the issue, he added, “Those are very, very serious charges to make and I would want to have much more information before reaching a conclusion.” Later during the hearing, he said, “I think the important conversation that we have to have with them is does Russia want to now and forever be an adversary of the the [sic] United States. Do you want this to get worse or does desire a different relationship? We are not likely ever to be friends. I think as others noted, our value systems are starkly different. … But I also know the Russian people. ... There is scope to define a different relationship that can bring down the temperature about the conflicts we have today. … Dialogue is critical so that these things do not spin out of control.”[4]
- When asked if he would advise the president to veto a bill passed by Congress removing the U.S. embargo against Cuba, without democratic changes having taken place in the country, Tillerson said that he would. He added that he expected the Trump administration to perform a comprehensive review of all of President Barack Obama’s executive orders in regards to Cuba. He said, “I would want to examine carefully the criteria under which Cuba was delisted from the list of terrorist nations that support terrorism, and whether or not the delisting was appropriate.” He also mentioned Cuba in his opening statement, saying, “Our recent engagement with the government of Cuba was not accompanied by any significant concessions on human rights. We have not held them accountable for their conduct. Their leaders received much, while their people received little. That serves neither the interest of Cubans or Americans.”[4]
- When asked to share his personal views on climate change during his confirmation hearing, Tillerson said, “I came to the conclusion a few years ago that the risk of climate change does exist and that the consequences of it could be serious enough that action should be taken. The type of action seems to be where the largest areas of debate exist in the public discourse. I think it’s important to recognize that the U.S. has done a pretty good job.” Sen. Bob Corker (R-S.C.) then asked if Tillerson believed that human activity contributed to climate change, to which Tillerson responded, “The increase in greenhouse gas in the atmosphere is having an effect. Our ability to predict that effect is very limited.”[4]
Considered candidates for Secretary of State
The table below highlights individuals who were either nominated to the position by Trump or were mentioned in the media as potential nominees.
| Considered candidates for Secretary of State | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Notable experience | Source |
| Rudy Giuliani* | Former mayor of New York City | ABC News |
| John Bolton | Former U.N. Ambassador | The New York Times |
| Bob Corker | Senator from Tennessee, Chair of Senate Foreign Relations Committee | The New York Times |
| Newt Gingrich** | Former Speaker of the House | The New York Times |
| Zalmay Khalilzad | Former Ambassador to Afghanistan | The New York Times |
| Stanley McChrystal | Former military commander, Afghanistan | The New York Times |
| Richard Haass | President of Council on Foreign Relations | ABC News |
| Nikki Haley | Gov. of South Carolina | The State |
| Tulsi Gabbard | U.S. Rep. from Hawaii | ABC News |
| Mitt Romney | Former Gov. of Massachusetts | Politico |
| David Petraeus | Former Director of CIA | Bloomberg |
| John Kelly | U.S. Marine Corps General | Politico |
Rex Tillerson  |
ExxonMobil CEO | Politico |
| James Stavridis | Retired Navy admiral | Politico |
| Dana Rohrabacher | U.S. Representative from California | Politico |
| Alan Mulally | Former CEO of Ford | Politico |
| *On November 29, 2016, Giuliani pulled his name from consideration for the job. The decision was not made public until December 9, 2016. In a statement, Giuliani said, "This is not about me; it is about what is best for the country and the new administration. Before I joined the campaign I was very involved and fulfilled by my work with my law firm and consulting firm, and I will continue that work with even more enthusiasm. From the vantage point of the private sector, I look forward to helping the President-elect in any way he deems necessary and appropriate."[5] | ||
| **On November 22, 2016, Gingrich indicated to Politico that he would not seek an official White House role, saying, "I've told the President-elect for months that I want to do is sort of be a senior planner."[6] | ||
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ The New York Times, "Rex Tillerson, Exxon C.E.O., Chosen as Secretary of State," December 12, 2016
- ↑ The New York Times, "In Rocky Hearing, Rex Tillerson Tries to Separate From Trump," January 11, 2017
- ↑ Senate.gov, "Roll Call Vote No. 36," February 1, 2017
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 C-Span.org, "Secretary of State Confirmation Hearing, Part 1," accessed January 13, 2017
- ↑ Politico, "Giuliani pulls name from contention for secretary of state," December 9, 2016
- ↑ Politico, "JOE and MIKA: Trump WH will not pursue Clinton investigation -- TRUMP’s first 100 days: the power of the pen -- PELOSI’s pushback -- PENCE gets a round of applause at Martin’s in Georgetown -- ASHLEY PARKER to WaPo," November 22, 2016
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