President Buhari chats with Rex Tillerson in Aso Rock
President Trump has announced the removal of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and replaced him with CIA Director Mike Pompeo. Tillerson was sacked barely 24 hours after he left Nigeria, cutting short his trip to Africa. He has had a frosty relation with Trump since last year when he reportedly called Trump a moron after a White House meeting.
The move, first reported by The Washington Post, was followed by a tweet from Trump.
Trump tweeted: “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!”
Gina Haspel will become the first woman director of the CIA, Trump said. Both she and Pompeo will have to be confirmed by the Senate.
Haspel is currently deputy director of the CIA.
The decision ends a tumultuous tenure for Tillerson, who often seemed at odds with Trump or out of the loop altogether.
Trump’s tweet Tuesday came the day after Tillerson blamed Russia for an assassination in London — something the White House had specifically not done just hours before.
Last Thursday, Tillerson said it would be premature for Trump to hold talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Later that evening, Trump said he would meet Kim by May to discuss the future of North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.
Last year, Tillerson said the United States should talk with North Korea, which Trump quickly shot down. It was later reported that Tillerson had called Trump a moron after a White House meeting.
