WASHINGTON, D.C. – This morning, President Donald Trump let the world know that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was out of a job and would be replaced, less than a day after Tillerson slammed a nerve agent attack in Britain by Russia.
According to a tweet early Tuesday from President Donald J. Trump, “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!”
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!
Monday, Tillerson’s last major move in his capacity as Secretary of State was to slam the apparent use of a nerve agent to poison a former spy in Britain and acknowledge Russia’s continued bad behavior across the globe:
Tillerson (right) with Russian diplomat
The United States was in touch with our Allies in the United Kingdom ahead of today’s announcement, including in a call between Secretary Tillerson and Foreign Secretary Johnson this morning. We have full confidence in the UK’s investigation and its assessment that Russia was likely responsible for the nerve agent attack that took place in Salisbury last week.There is never a justification for this type of attack – the attempted murder of a private citizen on the soil of a sovereign nation – and we are outraged that Russia appears to have again engaged in such behavior. From Ukraine to Syria – and now the UK – Russia continues to be an irresponsible force of instability in the world, acting with open disregard for the sovereignty of other states and the life of their citizens.
We agree that those responsible – both those who committed the crime and those who ordered it – must face appropriately serious consequences. We stand in solidarity with our Allies in the United Kingdom and will continue to coordinate closely our responses.
The White House has not, so far, acknowledged the Russia nerve agent attack.
