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[chadskin]

President Donald Trump this week abruptly dropped the nation's commitment to a two-state solution for Middle East peace — without reviewing the specifics of his new strategy with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

State Department officials and Tillerson's top aides learned about the president's comments in real time, according to two sources with knowledge of the situation. Tillerson himself was in the air when Trump announced the change in the longstanding U.S. position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. At the White House, there was little thought about notifying the nation's top diplomat because, as one senior staffer put it, "everyone knows Jared [Kushner] is running point on the Israel stuff."

For a president who declared on Thursday he had assembled “one of the great Cabinets in American history,” sidelining Tillerson was an unorthodox way to utilize one of his top-tier picks. But it follows a pattern from Trump's first month in office, where the president is operating without seeking much input from his more experienced Cabinet secretaries — including Defense Secretary James Mattis and Tillerson, as well as Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly and CIA Director Mike Pompeo — a group one GOP source called "the grownups."

Flynn’s resignation marked a win for Mattis and Tillerson. An early Trump campaign supporter and the former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency with a penchant for indulging conspiracy theories, Flynn helped crystallize an early partnership between Mattis and Tillerson.

When Mattis met with Republican senators in January ahead of his confirmation hearings, Republican senators simply thanked him for his willingness to serve the incoming administration. His own confirmation assured, Mattis asked the senators to help Tillerson, whose nomination appeared less certain and who he thought might be an important ally in the Cabinet.

“He said, ‘You’ve got to get Rex [Tillerson] over the finish line for me,” one GOP senate staffer recalled, “because Flynn is crazy.”

Tillerson has quietly met with top officials at the State Department and reassured them he would listen to expert opinions and that he is writing his own remarks. He has pushed to bring people from outside the Trump orbit into the West Wing, one of these people said, but has received resistance from the White House, which doesn't want officials who have criticized the president taking jobs inside the administration.

Mattis was upset when Trump nominated Vincent Viola, a billionaire Wall Street trader, to serve as his Army secretary without consulting him (Viola has since bowed out because of personal financial issues). Since the blowup, he’s had more influence over top appointments—he pushed hard for Phillip Bilden’s appointment as Navy secretary — but continues to spar with a White House determined to bar the doors of the federal government to those who opposed Trump during last year’s campaign or who disagree with him on critical policy positions.

Tillerson, meanwhile, is privately expressing his own dissatisfaction that the administration has reneged on its promise to allow him to pick ambassadors, grievances that are now spilling out into public view ahead of any official announcements.

Tillerson is primarily peeved at Reince Priebus, the White House chief of staff who recently got Trump to sign off on a list of 15 ambassador appointments even though they’d promised their secretary of state that he could fill those slots if he agreed to take the job.

According to one source familiar with Priebus’ list, hedge fund manager and campaign bundler Lew Eisenberg will be named ambassador to Italy; Duke Buchan, another Wall Street financier who was among the earliest to bet big on Trump, will be ambassador to Spain; and Georgette Mosbacher, an entrepreneur and Fox News contributor, is likely to serve as ambassador to either Luxembourg or Belgium.

"They certainly were not chosen by Tillerson," the source familiar with the list explained. "These were not Tillerson choices at all."

Tillerson responded to these slights as he did to reports of Trump's softening the U.S. commitment to a two-state solution in the Middle East — with practiced calm. He has been annoyed, two sources say, but has not yet gone "off the deep end at the White House," according to one of these people. He has tried to strike a diplomatic tone. Much of that, another source said, is due to his solid personal relationship with Kushner, who, the source continued, “understands the president better than anyone else but also understands that he doesn’t know the military like Mattis, that he doesn’t know foreign leaders better than Tillerson. He knows what he doesn’t know.”

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/trump-ignoring-cabinet-235124

Leaks, leaks everywhere.

 

[deadlast]

The shit golem needs to stop talking to everyone. He can sit at his desk and sign stuff. He can talk in general about stuff he likes and doesn't like.

 

[HotHamBoy]

But her leaks.

 

[Jonnax]

Wow. It's no wonder Trump's businesses are mostly failures except for real estate and hotels.

He wouldn't be able to operate in a public company with shareholders lol.

 

[Slayven]

The shit golem needs to stop talking to everyone. He can sit at his desk and sign stuff. He can talk in general about stuff he likes and doesn't like.

I wouldn't be shocked Pence was directing some of it.

 

[uncredited male]

The crown goes to who can stroke his ego the most.

 

[Trakdown]

I'm waiting for him to reply with "I AM THE ADULT IN THE CABINET! FAKE NEWS!" because he has no appreciation for irony.

 

[entremet]

Pride comes before the fall....

It's gonna be a spectacular fall.

 

[Frozenprince]

Wow. It's no wonder Trump's businesses are mostly failures except for real estate and hotels.

He wouldn't be able to operate in a public company with shareholders lol.

Well yeah there's a good reason he has gone bankrupt so much. Dude is running the fucking country the same way he ran the USFL, a god damn football league.

 

[tuxfool]

Wow. It's no wonder Trump's businesses are mostly failures except for real estate and hotels.

He wouldn't be able to operate in a public company with shareholders lol.

You should read the articles people have written about his ventures. Exactly the same problems.

 

[Slayven]

Pride comes before the fall....

It's gonna be a spectacular fall.

I am just praying there is something left when it happens

 

[Fracas]

how is he still president

 

[tbm24]

With the way this is going, I'm rooting for Tillerson.

 

[OceanBlue]

It's pretty amusing how Tillerson is turning out to be one of the better Cabinet picks considering the reasonable misgivings people had about him at the start.

 

[Iksenpets]

That anecdote about Mattis personally lobbying for Tillerson probably explains the sudden flip the McCain/Graham/Rubio group had on him.

It's pretty amusing how Tillerson is turning out to be one of the better Cabinet picks considering the reasonable misgivings people had about him at the start.

Tillerson is weird, because if any other Republican had nominated him, I probably would have shrugged and said sure, but because it was Trump, the Russia stuff became terrifying. He was probably the one I was most strongly against, except for Sessions, who is just an odious human being. So far, so good though, with Tillerson. Still plenty of time for him to disappoint with some ludicrous "deal" with Russia, but at least he hasn't straight up advocated for multiple acts of war so far like Mattis has.

 

[GraveHorizon]

Reading the quoted stuff in the OP, it sounds exactly like a political soap opera. So much drama, talking behind other people's backs, getting snubbed by the "in crowd."

 

[Frozenprince]

Reading the quoted stuff in the OP, it sounds exactly like a political soap opera. So much drama, talking behind other people's backs, getting snubbed by the "in crowd."

It's like if The West Wing was written by CBS sitcom writers.

 

[Vestal]

That anecdote about Mattis personally lobbying for Tillerson probably explains the sudden flip the McCain/Graham/Rubio group had on him.

If it was Mattis play to have an ally in State so he can reign in the craziness in foreign policy, then as long as it bears fruit I am all for it.

 

[UnemployedVillain]

When real life has more intrigue and drama than House of Cards, we have a serious problem

 

[Mivey]

Is it now "official" that the US government is giving up on insisting on a two state solution? I mean, sure, Trump kind of said that, but the implications of that would be far reaching.

 

[Dubbedinenglish]

Is it now "official" that the US government is giving up on insisting on a two state solution? I mean, sure, Trump kind of said that, but the implications of that would be far reaching.

Trump is OK with a two-state and one-state solution. So we are now at the three-state solution.

 

[jack_package_200]

It's like if The West Wing was written by CBS sitcom writers.

Bug Bang Two and a Half Presidents

 

[iammeiam]

If it was Mattis play to have an ally in State so he can reign in the craziness in foreign policy, then as long as it bears fruit I am all for it.

Basically this; everyone Trump picks is suspect, Tillerson was well deserving of scrutiny and skepticism, but it is on some level reassuring to know the adults trying to protect some semblance of a functional government viewed him as a more likely ally against Trump's craziness.

 

[triplestation]

Presidency

So easy a caveman can do it

 

[Jenov]

Trumps all "whatever guizz, do what you both like, you figs it out." He doesn't give enough of a shit to even study the subject.

 

[tbm24]

Is it now "official" that the US government is giving up on insisting on a two state solution? I mean, sure, Trump kind of said that, but the implications of that would be far reaching.

All that's official is that Trump doesn't care about Israel's conflict. His non-chalant attitude to his answer and him passing the buck entirely to his son in law says that loud and clear. The official US stance for now is whatever Tillerson says it is as he's the figure of authority on it.

 

[lastplayed]

Is it now "official" that the US government is giving up on insisting on a two state solution? I mean, sure, Trump kind of said that, but the implications of that would be far reaching.

Maybe Trump thinks it's a 51st state solution.

 

[the_batman]

this dude is just a model of what kind of person NOT to become.

 

[x24hrs2livex]

I'm not the most political person, and have only followed politics since GW took office, but were there any other administration's this fucked up?

 

[Shard]

I'm not the most political person, and have only followed politics since GW took office, but were there any other administration's this fucked up?

A fair amount actually for example his idol Andrew Jackson has much of the same dysfunction actually.

 

[Frozenprince]

A fair amount actually for example his idol Andrew Jackson has much of the same dysfunction actually.

Grant was also bad because he also just let his drinking buddies run things.

 

[Dash_Riprock]

I'm not the most political person, and have only followed politics since GW took office, but were there any other administration's this fucked up?

Grant's was known as the most corrupt in history (may change soon of course). Difference was for the completely opposite reasons for Trump: Grant was known for being nice to fault and always stuck up for his corrupt friends (many of them his old war buddies) out of genuine loyalty and friendship.

 

[Shard]

Warren G. Harding would have been impeached had he not had a heart attack and died in office due to the Teapot Dome scandal.

 

[jvm]

Wow. It's no wonder Trump's businesses are mostly failures except for real estate and hotels.

He wouldn't be able to operate in a public company with shareholders lol.

Actually, it would be hilarious if he actually tried to run a public company and ask his followers to buy shares in it. Just watching it all go down in flames would actually be worth it.

 

[Flying Toaster]

When you look at the mess and feel good about Tillerson you know shit has hit the fan.

 

[Replicant]

He's a narcissist. By any definition, he's the kind who looks down on anyone voicing different opinion from his. They are dumb to think they can influence or exert control over his own selfish, self-serving interest.

 

[Michael F. Assbender]

He has pushed to bring people from outside the Trump orbit into the West Wing, one of these people said, but has received resistance from the White House, which doesn't want officials who have criticized the president taking jobs inside the administration.

Surround yourself with nothing but yes men, you shallow, miserable, angry, narcissistic, thin-skinned, racist, sexist, lying, halfwit dildo.

Shit like that always leads to success.

 

[Kin5290]

If it was Mattis play to have an ally in State so he can reign in the craziness in foreign policy, then as long as it bears fruit I am all for it.

Tillerson is not very competent and completely lacking in experience, but at least he's sane.

Of course, he's chief diplomat for the guy who conducts diplomacy by Tweet, so how well he can rein in the crazy is anyone's guess.

 

[dcdobson]

What about her emails?!

 

[Regiruler]

So he's basically ignoring over half of his war cabinet?

 

[Flying Toaster]

So he's basically ignoring over half of his war cabinet?

At any given time he is only listening to one person at a time. That person happens to be different depending on his mood.

 

[Michael F. Assbender]

So he's basically ignoring over half of his war cabinet?

Because they might actually try talking him out of going to war...

 

[Regiruler]

How fitting that I just finish what I was reading of Plan of Attack just this week.

Not listening to either defense or state is literally the most boneheaded thing I have ever seen.

 

[elrechazado]

It's pretty amusing how Tillerson is turning out to be one of the better Cabinet picks considering the reasonable misgivings people had about him at the start.

He's a fortune 500 CEO. Like his politics or not, those guys are super competent and do not suffer fools well.

 

[superdeluxe]

Holy shit, we're rooting for Tillerson now.

If Mattis now has SecState along with his SecDef, CIA, Homeland, if we can get a solid NSA. At the very least our foreign policy/relations will be steady.

 

[Shoeless]

Because they might actually try talking him out of going to war...

Yeah, can't see that working out. I'd be very surprised if the US isn't in a formal state of war with another country by the end of 2018.

 

[sonicmj1]

Is it now "official" that the US government is giving up on insisting on a two state solution? I mean, sure, Trump kind of said that, but the implications of that would be far reaching.

The way I read that response in the press conference, it's classic Trump trying to sound like he knows something when he's clueless, like that quote where he said he'd uphold Article XII of the Constitution. There's no coherent one-state solution that both parties would accept.

The problem is that people expect the President's words to mean something, so they have to take it as an actual statement of policy.

 

[superdeluxe]

With the way this is going, I'm rooting for Tillerson.

Like a great CEO he listens to his experts

 

[Hierophant]

Because they might actually try talking him out of going to war...

ill promise not a single populace outside of the US will support any war trump starts

dunno about the leadership but any war trump starts will be massively unpopular world wide

 

[FunkyMunkey]

ill promise not a single populace outside of the US will support any war trump starts

dunno about the leadership but any war trump starts will be massively unpopular world wide

you can bet your ass a war would be unpopular with the us (citizens) as well no matter how much shit talking we do