Tillerson Gets Paroled

Another adult has left the Trump administration.

Rex doesn’t know it just yet, but he should be popping the champagne. One of Trump’s better picks, Tillerson was also one of the most admired. A contentious relationship from the start, no doubt, but he did give the president his best counsel.

It was clear going in that each had a different approach. They butted heads on Iran, Russia, the Middle-East, and then lately on the new North Korean proposed summit reportage and gas attack in the UK targeting an out of favor ex Russian spy.

Where Tillerson was an old school ,”Walk softly and carry a big stick”  diplomat who understood the importance of building relationships, Trump was all about the presentation and how well he looked at the photo-op. Tillerson understood smoke-filled back room wrangling, Trump was convinced his deal making would show his awesomeness and do his persuading for him. Tillerson was a Reagan era cold warrior, Trump would throw out history and make the sale.

They also clashed on State Dept. vision; Tillerson wanted the cabinet posts filled, where Trump used slow style strangulation to shrink State, thinking diplomacy was over rated and had no priority for it.

This latest tariff initiative pushed Cohn out, Trump figured it was going to be the last straw for his Secretary of State as well since Tillerson was also a free trade guy who was not going to sell tariffs.

If the latest is true, that Tillerson was blindsided by this firing, it just provides greater foundation to the notion that Trump is a coward. Making the employee suffer, making his life miserable, torturing him out of office and cutting off his legs in public, this is the style of the ,”Your fired” guy, not honorable and not very manly. This is exactly what he is doing with Sessions.

Mike Pompeo is a good man, although why he would want this job is baffling. At CIA he was a spook, under the radar and out of sight, not so much here.

When I got wind that Trey Gowdy was leaving, for a split second I thought to myself that Trump back channel offered him the A.G. job. Then it dawned on me, Gowdy is smarter than that.

TBH, if Mattis or Kelly decides they have had enough and can’t stomach it anymore, this administration is effectively over.

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18 comments

  3. The president’s personal assistant being escorted out of the building without even being allowed to take his coat because he’s being investigated for serious financial crimes by the Department of Homeland Security kind of feels like the bigger story. Like, exactly what financial crimes do you have to commit to have the Department of Homeland Security looking at you?
    It’s not just a shitshow, it’s a multi-layered shitshow. Just as advertised then.

  4. Yeah, I’m trying to follow this story but really, are you going to believe anything CNN says?

    I tried to google this story. The first 5 references google thought I needed to read was from sources like CNN, Huffpo, Media matters, nbc news (thanks for the unbiased reporting, google). I did find a WSJ piece, I trust them. It says he was let go because of some prior tax problems and he could not get the sufficient clearance needed for his current job. In the same breath it mentions him transitioning over to 2020 campaign team as a senior adviser.
    The manner in which he was escorted out is due to Kelly’s new procedures, after getting blindsided by Rob Porter’s marital boxing matches.

  5. are you going to believe anything CNN says?

    I won’t automatically believe anything anyone says, but they’re generally trustworthy (as are most mainstream news outlets). Certainly far more so than anything coming out of Trump or his Administration.

    I love this from the Trump press conference….

    REPORTER: Did you fire him because he called you a moron?

    MR. TRUMP: What?

    REPORTER: Did you fire him because he called you a moron?

    MR. TRUMP: Say it again.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/13/us/politics/trump-pompeo-tillerson.html

  6. It says he was let go because of some prior tax problems and he could not get the sufficient clearance needed for his current job.

    And his online gambling problems.

    John F. Kelly, the White House chief of staff, has said in recent weeks that too many staff members were operating on interim security clearances because they could not pass F.B.I. background checks.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/13/us/politics/john-mcentee-trump.html

    Brilliant.

  7. Well, he was hired to clean house. Him getting rid of Jared and Ivanka was worth the price of admission. Your Homeland Security investigation reference indicates something more serious than past tax and gambling problems. If this turns out to be more MSM fact less embellishments, no doubt you will post a comment indicating as such. And if it turns out to be legit, I’ll write about it.

  8. Yep, Kelly is in an unenviable position, but seems to have done many good things.

    If this turns out to be more MSM fact less embellishments, no doubt you will post a comment indicating as such.

    Sure thing. Does the WSJ count, as other places are referencing it to them, e.g.

    John McEntee was dismissed after being denied a security clearance due to financial problems including issues with online gambling and tax problems the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

    http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/trump-personal-aide-fired-escorted-w-h-coat-article-1.3871907

  9. David Neary on Twitter:

    Sadly I’m no longer in the headline writing business, but if anyone wants to use “Tyrant is sore at Rex” today, they are welcome to it.

    Lol

  10. I can so see Rex calling him a “moron”, more than once.
    When the president elect calls on you to serve, you serve, but it has to be so demoralizing working for a guy that is so disrespectful and not supportive of free thinkers.

    BTW, I didn’t see your dog photo in the other thread, a pic of your wallaby would also work.

  11. Your Homeland Security investigation reference indicates something more serious than past tax and gambling problems.

    As I’ve read elsewhere, these are being investigated by the Secret Service, which falls under DHS.

    Carry on.

  12. BTW, I didn’t see your dog photo in the other thread, a pic of your wallaby would also work.

    I’ve been busy buying and then getting a house ready to sell. Not much time for anything else (other than work), which is why I’ve been so quiet. Wallaby huh?! Are you mocking the cliched geographical ignorance of Americans?! 😉

    As I’ve read elsewhere, these are being investigated by the Secret Service, which falls under DHS.

    Nice. So I assume it’s normal for the Secret Service to be the ones investigating?

  13. Nice. So I assume it’s normal for the Secret Service to be the ones investigating?

    That’s a good question. I know that there are certain financial and cyber crimes they investigate, in addition to counterfeiting, but I’m less sure about online gambling or whether it falls into any of that.

    Here’s this: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-aide-fired-under-investigation-by-secret-service/ar-BBKb9uP

    The Secret Service investigates a range of crimes, including credit card fraud, counterfeiting, financially oriented cybercrimes and child pornography, as well as threats.

    Can’t say authoritatively if it’s normal or not.

    Rich?

  15. Rich?

    I just go by what their website says;

    The Secret Service has primary jurisdiction to investigate threats against Secret Service protectees as well as financial crimes, which include counterfeiting of U.S. currency or other U.S. Government obligations; forgery or theft of U.S. Treasury checks, bonds or other securities; credit card fraud; telecommunications fraud; computer fraud, identify fraud and certain other crimes affecting federally insured financial institutions.

    We need to know more about this.

  16. You would think that if he was destined for an orange jumpsuit, that job with the 2020 campaign would not have been offered.

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