Trump Chooses ExxonMobil Chief as Secretary of State

 

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump¹ has chosen Rex Tillerson as his secretary of state -- the top cabinet position.

Tillerson currently serves as Chief Executive Officer at the Texas-based oil company ExxonMobil.

In a statement, Trump said the businessman’s experience operating a major company will help him lead the State Department.

“His tenacity², broad experience and deep understanding of geopolitics make him an excellent choice for secretary of state. He will promote regional stability and focus on the core national security interests of the United States,” Trump said.

Tillerson has no experience as a diplomat³, but his company has business relationships with governments in many countries, including Russia.

Trump says those contacts should serve Tillerson well as America’s top diplomat. In Trump’s words, “a great advantage is he knows many of the players and he knows them well. He does massive deals in Russia.”

Tillerson has reached major agreements with Russian companies for the exploration and production of oil and natural gas. These deals led Russian President Vladimir Putin to give Tillerson his country’s Order of Friendship in 2013.

Earlier this year, Tillerson said he has known Putin since 1999 and has a “very close relationship with him.”

The ExxonMobil chief has strongly criticized American limits on trade with Russia. These measures have forced him to cancel some projects that would have been profitable for his company.

Political observers say Tillerson’s ties with Russian officials may cause some members of the United States Senate to question his appointment. While American presidents can appoint members of their cabinet, the Senate must approve the nominees⁴ before they can serve. The Constitution gives the Senate this power.

On Sunday, John McCain, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Tillerson’s relationship with Putin is “a matter of concern.”

Marco Rubio, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a Tweet about Tillerson: “Being a friend of Vladimir is not an attribute I am hoping for from a secretary of state.”

Relations between the United States and Russia have worsened in the past week after publication of intelligence findings. U.S. intelligence agencies found that Russia was involved in the theft of emails from Democratic Party officials. Some political observers believe the theft influenced the 2016 presidential election.

Trump has said repeatedly that he wants to improve relations with Moscow.

On Monday, Russia praised Tillerson. It said he is “highly professional.”

Words in This Story

tenacity – n. the act of being very determined⁵ to do something

geopolitics – n. the study of how geography and economics have an influence on politics and on the relations between nations

regional – adj. parts of the world

focus – v. to direct your attention or effort at something specific

core – n. the most important or basic part of something

attribute – n. a quality or feature that someone or something has

1 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

2 tenacity   

n.坚韧

参考例句：

• Tenacity is the bridge to success.坚韧是通向成功的桥。
• The athletes displayed great tenacity throughout the contest.运动员在比赛中表现出坚韧的斗志。

3 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

4 nominees   

n.被提名者，被任命者( nominee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She's one of the nominees. 她是被提名者之一。 来自超越目标英语 第2册
• A startling number of his nominees for senior positions have imploded. 他所提名的高级官员被否决的数目令人震惊。 来自互联网

5 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。