Rex Tillerson’s Job on Life Support, According to Reports

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I’m an engineer by training. I’m a very systems, process, methodical decision maker. He’s an entrepreneur. Different mind-set. He makes decisions differently.”

The White House has also allowed staffing at the State Department to move at a snail’s pace. This is because Trump values loyalty over competence, according to officials quoted by the Times. Prospective appointees were vetted closely, down to their Twitter likes, for their loyalty to the President. These close standards disqualified many prospects.

Why Stay?

The Trump administration has had quite a bit of turn over since January. It’s possible Trump “can’t” fire Tillerson, for political face. The President has had to replace his chief of staff in the first year. This is unthinkable for most administrations. Losing a the Secretary of State may be too much to bare at this time.

The Times also postulates that Tillerson is trying to stay for a year due to tax reasons. In order to head the State Department, Tillerson had to divest himself from Exon Mobile, where he was CEO. If he leaves the government shy of a year, he may be subject to heavy capital-gains taxes from his former stocks by returning to the private sector. In short, he would lose out on a lot of money.