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[Zolo]

Source: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/06/28/tillerson-blows-up-at-white-house-aide-240075

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s frustrations with the White House have been building for months. Last Friday, they exploded.

The normally laconic Texan unloaded on Johnny DeStefano, the head of the presidential personnel office, for torpedoing proposed nominees to senior State Department posts and for questioning his judgment.

Tillerson also complained that the White House was leaking damaging information about him to the news media, according to a person familiar with the meeting. Above all, he made clear that he did not want DeStefano’s office to “have any role in staffing” and “expressed frustration that anybody would know better” than he about who should work in his department – particularly after the president had promised him autonomy to make his own decisions and hires, according to a senior White House aide familiar with the conversation.

The encounter, described by four people familiar with what happened, was so explosive that Kushner approached Peterlin afterwards and told that Tillerson’s outburst was completely unprofessional, according to two of the people familiar with the exchange, and told her that they needed to work out a solution.

It was the loudest manifestation yet of how frustrated Tillerson is in his new role. He has complained about the White House’s attempts to push personnel on him; about the president’s tweets; and about the work conditions in a West Wing where he sometimes finds loyalty and competence hard to by. Above all, the former Exxon Mobil CEO accustomed to being the final word on both personnel and policy in his corporate life, has balked at taking orders from political aides both younger and less experienced than he is.

Tillerson’s frustration with the White House’s meddling began early and has been a persistent issue. “He went into this with a very negative attitude towards the White House,” said a former senior State Department official familiar with his thinking, who recounted that during the transition, Tillerson opposed a candidate proposed by Trump’s team simply on the grounds that Trump’s team was proposing him.

“Rex is a 65-year-old guy who worked his way up from the bottom at Exxon, and he chafes at the idea of taking orders from a 38-year-old political operative,” said a former transition aide who worked closely with Tillerson.

Where Tillerson is concerned, the frustration goes both ways. Many of his proposed nominees have been rejected by DeStefano’s Office of Presidential Personnel either because they are Democrats or because they are Republicans who were critical of Trump during the campaign. Though Brian Hook, the director of policy planning, told associates several weeks ago that the department had several people in the pipeline, few have been announced since, and the White House continues to resist Tillerson’s choices.

 

[night814]

Everyone has a breaking point

 

[Netherscourge]

He's probably gonna quit.

Mattis probably wishes he could quit.

 

[Kettch]

where he sometimes finds loyalty and competence hard to by.

I'm not sure which way that typo goes. Hard to come by or hard to buy?

 

[kirblar]

He's probably gonna quit.

Mattis probably wishes he could quit.

Mattis pretty much has Carte Blanche as long as he doesn't bomb DC on accident.

Tillerson's ability to do anything is cut off because the WH is deliberately starving civil services so that they can centralize power in the WH - it's a strategy of dictators and strongmen.

 

[Zolo]

I'm not sure which way that typo goes. Hard to come by or hard to buy?

I figure the former.

 

[nicanica]

Tillerson also complained that the White House was leaking damaging information about him to the news media, according to a person familiar with the meeting.

Leakin leaks about blowin up about leaks.

Mutha fuckin trolls doin work

 

[Drkirby]

While I don't agree with Tillerson's policy ideas, and don't really trust him much more than Trump, he is likely one of the few competent Executives in the White House right now. If he left his position, it would likely be really bad for our already fragile foreign policy.

 

[Dubbedinenglish]

Tillerson also complained that the White House was leaking damaging information about him to the news media, according to a person familiar with the meeting.

hehehehe

 

[Zolo]

While I don't agree with Tillerson's policy ideas, and don't really trust him much more than Trump, he is likely one of the few competent Executives in the White House right now. If he left his position, it would likely be really bad for our already fragile foreign policy.

Yeah. Trying to figure out Tillerson. He has major motivation to want to get rid of sanctions with Russia due to the money that could be made if they were lifted. That said, he does seem to be actually wanting to do his job well.

 

[Ecotic]

I'd be chronically upset too if my co-workers were a nativist provocateur and a kid who is only there due to nepotism.

 

[kevin1025]

"Stop leaking damaging information about me!" he bellowed.

*Outburst now on Politico*

 

[RPGCrazied]

Can you imagine taking orders from pretty boy kushner? I wish one of his top people would just walk out.

 

[LiK]

I'm with Rex.

 

[BlueTsunami]

I thought ol Till Till was part of the band, I guess not. It was strange how he was placed in charge of a now defanged department but it seemed like he was in on the job.

 

[Kusagari]

You don't get where Tillerson did in a massive company like Exxon by being incompetent.

His connections to Russia aside, he was always going to be one of the most competent people Trump picked based off that alone.

Of course he's being blunted at every side by Trump trying to make him and the State Department as inefficient as possible.

 

[TangoAlphaLima]

While I don't agree with Tillerson's policy ideas, and don't really trust him much more than Trump, he is likely one of the few competent Executives in the White House right now. If he left his position, it would likely be really bad for our already fragile foreign policy.

I agree. Not a big fan of him, but he does seem more competent than 90% of Trump's cabinet. Not surprised he's sick of Trump's BS.

 

[kirblar]

I thought ol Till Till was part of the band, I guess not. It was strange how he was placed in charge of a now defanged department but it seemed like he was in on the job.

Nah, he was getting pushed by establishment GOPers and lobbyists behind the scenes.

 

[BatDan]

Tillerson was what Trump never could be, a successful CEO & businessman. A real one, not the showboat Trump really is.

Which means that he is at least competent. Too bad that the administration he's part of is full of idiots, and he has to answer to "dictionary definition of Nepotism" Kushner.

 

[Iolo]

Tillerson has emotions? I thought he was about as irascible as a bowl of Farina.

 

[BlueTsunami]

Nah, he was getting pushed by establishment GOPers and lobbyists behind the scenes.

Yeah I remember reading how he was reluctant to take up the position. The first post administration tell all book, I'm picking that shit up day 1.

 

[Yoshimitsu126]

You know these leakers may the true American heroes we may never know.

 

[elrechazado]

Like him or not, he's an actual professional. Unlike Trump. It's got to be infuriating for anyone with a shred of real experience working under the fool. No sympathy though, because this was the most foreseeable thing ever.

 

[jph139]

As much as I hate the fact that Tillerson was appointed to a position he had absolutely no business in, I can't help but feel for the guy. He must have known he was signing onto an absolute shitshow, right? Like, this can't be TOO surprising.

 

[Tommy DJ]

I swear to god, I'm surprised no one hasn't tried to metaphorically throttle Kushner yet. Seeing he allegedly convinced Trump to fire Comey, he's not only dumber than a sack of bricks but some of those guys who wears a tailor suit no matter where he goes just to show off how hot shit he is.

I'm not surprised Tillerson isn't too happy with some 38 year old punk tell him what to do. Age is definitely a factor here but Kushner has literally achieved nothing without his dad's money.

 

[Duxxy3]

Still blows my mind that Tillerson would be one of the few that seriously pushed back against Trump. I thought he was bought and paid for. I've been very surprised by him since he took the position.

 

[Blader]

He's basically been boxed into a toothless job where all his real power has been outsourced to an amateur practically half his age. There's a good chance he will not serve out the entire term.

 

[Dubbedinenglish]

You don't get where Tillerson did in a massive company like Exxon by being incompetent.

His connections to Russia aside, he was always going to be one of the most competent people Trump picked based off that alone.

Of course he's being blunted at every side by Trump trying to make him and the State Department as inefficient as possible.

Wouldn't be surprised if jealousy is playing a part in this too. Trump wants to make sure no one under him "outshines" him.

 

[BlueTsunami]

I swear to god, I'm surprised no one hasn't tried to metaphorically throttle Kushner yet. Seeing he allegedly convinced Trump to fire Comey, he's not only dumber than a sack of bricks but some of those guys who wears a tailor suit no matter where he goes just to show off how hot shit he is.

I'm not surprised Tillerson isn't too happy with some 38 year old punk tell him what to do.

Super secret video of Kushner singing at a cabinet party

https://youtu.be/fZo-du0BrsY

 

[Brawly Likes to Brawl]

I'd feel bad for him, but he was the one who chose to make a deal with the devil.

 

[innervision961]

Buh buh... I though God sent him to lead!

 

[Nydius]

Where Tillerson is concerned, the frustration goes both ways. Many of his proposed nominees have been rejected by DeStefano's Office of Presidential Personnel either because they are Democrats or because they are Republicans who were critical of Trump during the campaign.

What did Tillerson expect? His boss in the Oval Office is a guy who demands unwavering loyalty to the point where he single handledly threw the entire administration deeper into investigation for firing the non-partisan FBI director, all because said FBI director wouldn't swear loyalty or go out of his way to cover up things for Trump.

If Tillerson is accurate that they're leaking information, again, he shouldn't be surprised at all. Clearly they think Tillerson isn't loyal enough because he's putting forward non-loyal critics (and even opponents) and the way the White House handles that is to create chaos in order to make the position so untenable that the person leaves. That fits Bannon's view on how to handle government and also Trump's ego.

 

[kittenbreath]

What Tillerson doesn't realize is that he was set up to fail from the beginning. He wasn't nominated to be secretary because the transition team thought his private sector experience would help him manage the bureaucracy. They selected him because it's been a long term goal of Republican administrations to weaken the State Department, and they wanted to install someone with no ties to the diplomatic establishment in the belief he would bend to the White House's wishes.

Now they know he's not so pliant as they assumed, they're trying to neuter him. If I was Tillerson I'd start planning my exit.

 

[Zolo]

As much as I hate the fact that Tillerson was appointed to a position he had absolutely no business in, I can't help but feel for the guy. He must have known he was signing onto an absolute shitshow, right? Like, this can't be TOO surprising.

Seems he was expecting more autonomy.

 

[tuxfool]

You know these leakers may the true American heroes we may never know.

Nah, they're just dirtbags pushing their own agendas. The thing here is that the WH is now stuffed with so many of these dirtbags, that they all choose to leak shit to hurt each other.

No doubt that they're useful, but they are not heroes.

 

[Suikoguy]

Seems he was expecting more autonomy.

That's why you always investigate who you are working for.

 

[Biske]

I really wonder what the fuck people were expecting when they chose to work for Trump.

I'm sure day one, minute one, nano second one they realized:

 

[Vicetrailia]

Did he really work his way up from the bottom?

 

[Muppet of a Man]

Tillerson is a neocon like Cheney and Bush. He's not a white nationalist like Trump and Bannon.

 

[Tommy DJ]

Did he really work his way up from the bottom?

He went through the traditional engineer -> management route. Compared to Kushner, who landed in the hot seat because he bangs Trump's favourite daughter, Rex basically did work his way up from the bottom.

 

[Beartruck]

As much as I hate the fact that Tillerson was appointed to a position he had absolutely no business in, I can't help but feel for the guy. He must have known he was signing onto an absolute shitshow, right? Like, this can't be TOO surprising.

I think they expected incompetence, I think they were just surprised by the depths of it He's not regular old incompetent, he's actively his own greatest enemy incompetent.

 

[Vicetrailia]

He went through the traditional engineer -> management route. Compared to Kushner, who landed in the hot seat because he bangs Trump's favourite daughter, Rex basically did work his way up from the bottom.

Yeah, I just checked him out on wiki. Got there in 1975. I wouldn't be taking shit from Kushner no matter who I was, especially if I'm Tillerson.

 

[UnemployedVillain]

The encounter, described by four people familiar with what happened, was so explosive that Kushner approached Peterlin afterwards and told that Tillerson’s outburst was completely unprofessional, according to two of the people familiar with the exchange, and told her that they needed to work out a solution.

After failing to bring peace to the Middle East, he's now trying his hand at the White House

 

[Ether_Snake]

Tillerson was probably Flynn's pick because Flynn was working for Russia and knew they would like him as SoS. Tillerson probably thinks that to achieve what he's supposed to, he's not supposed to be an obvious lapdog, so he has to show independence. Otherwise forget ever removing the sanctions. But Trump and co. don't care and don't get it so they're clashing.

 

[Isotropy]

If these aides are incompetent (which they probably are), then fine, be pissed about taking orders from them.

But if Tillerson is also just pissed about taking orders from people younger than him, he needs to get of his darn high horse too, old fart.

 

[KernelPanic]

Kushner is the real Secretary of State and an incompetent one at that. The whole Qatar thing just screams Kushner &co.

 

[ntropy]

a man gets mad at his job -- BREAKING NEWS

 

[BlueTsunami]

a man gets mad at his job -- BREAKING NEWS

Oh yeah, this Secretary of State position, a real ballbuster. You see these people explode every administration, like clockwork.

 

[Sobriquet]

Nah, he was getting pushed by establishment GOPers and lobbyists behind the scenes.

He was handpicked by the Koch brothers, like Pence, DeVos, Perry, Pompeo, and Pruitt.

 

[luxarific]

While I don't agree with Tillerson's policy ideas, and don't really trust him much more than Trump, he is likely one of the few competent Executives in the White House right now. If he left his position, it would likely be really bad for our already fragile foreign policy.

Nah - he doesn't know how to use the press, and yes, for SoS's the press is a valuable tool for advancing U.S. goals.