WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 (UPI) — Shortly after former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney expressed appreciation for President-elect Donald Trump considering him for secretary of state, officials on Trump’s transition team said Trump has chosen his nominee for the important position.
Trump has chosen ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson to serve as secretary of state, the transition team announced Tuesday, dismissing concerns about Tillerson’s closeness to Russian President Vladimir Putin and lack of diplomatic experience.
“His tenacity, broad experience and deep understanding of geopolitics make him an excellent choice for secretary of state,” Trump said in the statement.
Tillerson, 64, has worked for Exxon for nearly 40 years and has been the chairman and chief executive officer of ExxonMobil since January 2006, making him responsible for one of the largest companies in the world with operations in about 50 countries.
Tillerson’s business acumen and experience negotiating business deals are considered among his most attractive qualities to Trump — the president-elect called him a “world class player and dealmaker” in a tweet on Sunday. Trump has also previously described Tillerson as being in a different “league” than other candidates he met with.
Tillerson is expected to get some pushback during confirmation hearings before the U.S. Senate as several Republicans already are questioning the executive’s relationship with Russian leaders, specifically Putin.
The Russian leader has given Tillerson awards during the decades they have known each other, which Sen. John McCain and others have called concerning and is sure to come up during hearings.
Tillerson was selected from a list that had grown in the last couple of weeks. At the outset, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani was thought to have an inside track for the job, but Trump also considered Sen. Bob Corker, former U.S. Army general and director of the CIA David Petraeus and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman.
Speculation had abounded that Romney might be selected, despite the former presidential candidate’s pointed criticism of Trump’s business practices and potential pitfalls in the White House, after the two met twice and then had dinner together in New York City.
“It was an honor to have been considered for Secretary of State of our great country,” Romney posted on his Facebook page before Trump’s selection had been confirmed with the transition. “My discussions with President-elect Trump have been both enjoyable and enlightening. I have very high hopes that the new administration will lead the nation to greater strength, prosperity and peace.”
