Trump appears to be picking a fight with China
President Trump fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, nominated CIA Director Mike Pompeo to replace him, and picked a CIA “black site” torturer to take over Pompeo’s job, news media reported Tuesday.
Tillerson, previously Exxon’s CEO, was a voice of moderation and restraint in Trump’s cabinet. His departure likely signals a more belligerent foreign policy. The move “says to China you are our enemy,” CNBC’s Jim Cramer said.
A White House aide also was fired for “contradicting” the administration’s explanation of Tillerson’s departure, CNBC said.
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) announced he will oppose Trump’s nomination of Gina Haspel to run the CIA. After the 9/11 attacks, she ran a CIA “black site” in Thailand where terrorism suspects were waterboarded, and also ordered the destruction of videotapes of CIA interrogations at such sites. Wyden said this background makes her “unsuitable” to run the CIA.