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Tillerson Decries ‘Alternative Realities,’ Leaders Who ‘Conceal the Truth’ in Loaded Commencement Speech

This post is by Josh Feldman from Mediaite


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The latest commencement speaker to make veiled references denouncing threats to established norma of American society is… Rex Tillerson? Tillerson delivered the Virginia Military Institute commencement today and made some interesting remarks about leadership and the truth, less than two months after leaving the Trump White House. The former Secretary of State spoke of global challenges before expressing his concern about “the state of our American democracy,” particularly a “growing crisis of ethics and integrity.” He went on to emphasize the importance of the truth:
If our leaders seek to conceal the truth, or we as people become accepting of alternative realities that are no long grounded in facts, then we as American citizens are on a pathway to relinquishing our freedom. This is the life of non-democratic societies… A responsibility of every American citizen to each other is to preserve and protect our freedom by recognizing what truth Continue reading "Tillerson Decries ‘Alternative Realities,’ Leaders Who ‘Conceal the Truth’ in Loaded Commencement Speech"
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Ronan Farrow on Rex Tillerson: He Told Me He Didn’t Know What He Was Doing As Secretary of State

This post is by Ken Meyer from Mediaite


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Ronan Farrow spoke to Seth Meyers last night on Late Night, and he offered some interesting insight into what he learned about Rex Tillerson while writing his foreign policy book: War On Peace. After Meyers finished his mock White House press briefing, he spoke to Farrow about the former secretary of state’s very frank comments in the book. “Tillerson, if he had any logic, knew that he was going to be fired on some level,” Farrow said. “Maybe that’s why he’s so frank in this book. He basically says ‘I didn’t know what I was doing, I wasn’t experienced enough for it.'” Farrow continued to say that Tillerson blames the White House for his unceremonious dismissal earlier this year, but Farrow wasn’t “surprised” since “it is apparent to anyone looking at the State Department…that it’s become something of a dumpster fire.” Farrow called it a sad Continue reading "Ronan Farrow on Rex Tillerson: He Told Me He Didn’t Know What He Was Doing As Secretary of State"
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John Goodman Lampoons Rex Tillerson on SNL: ‘Trump is a Moron!’

This post is by Ken Meyer from Mediaite


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Saturday Night Live kicked off their show tonight with John Goodman doing an impersonation of Rex Tillerson, who was clearly broken up about being fired as Secretary of State this week. Alex Moffat brought back his impression of CNN’s Anderson Cooper in order to ask Kate McKinnon‘s Jeff Sessions to explain the Department of Justice’s decision to fire Andrew McCabe last night. Sessions tried to sidestep the issue, but he did say at one point “Trump made me do it,” and Robert Mueller would be toast if he gets fired too. From there, Cooper turned to “Tillerson,” who was obviously not okay as he talked about all the details surrounding his humiliating dismissal. He continued to stew throughout the panel interview, though at one point, the former secretary more or less confirmed the old rumors by shouting “Trump is a moron!” Tonight’s guest host and returning SNL Continue reading "John Goodman Lampoons Rex Tillerson on SNL: ‘Trump is a Moron!’"
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John Kelly Reportedly Held Meeting Where Senior Staffers Joked About Firings

This post is by Aidan McLaughlin from Mediaite


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“John Kelly’s day from hell,” blares the headline for a fresh-n-scoopy report from Axios, which details the White House chief of staff’s Friday — from a morning packed with reports of administration chaos to an evening in which his embarrassing comments about Rex Tillerson leaked. According to Axios, in the 8 a.m. meeting with 20 senior staffers, John Kelly addressed reports speculating that President Donald Trump was considering firing any number of WH officials. “This is on the record, since you’re all going to go out and tell the press, anyway,” Kelly said in the meeting, per Axios. “Contrary to what’s been reported, H.R. and I are still here,” he added, referencing reports that Trump was considering ousting both his chief of staff and national security adviser HR McMaster. Kelly then apparently delivered a what sounds like a Trump White House take on the St Crispin’s Continue reading "John Kelly Reportedly Held Meeting Where Senior Staffers Joked About Firings"
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John Kelly Reportedly Held Meeting Where Senior Staffers Joked About Firings

This post is by Aidan McLaughlin from Mediaite


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“John Kelly’s day from hell,” blares the headline for a fresh-n-scoopy report from Axios, which details the White House chief of staff’s Friday — from a morning packed with reports of administration chaos to an evening in which his embarrassing comments about Rex Tillerson leaked. According to Axios, in the 8 a.m. meeting with 20 senior staffers, John Kelly addressed reports speculating that President Donald Trump was considering firing any number of WH officials. “This is on the record, since you’re all going to go out and tell the press, anyway,” Kelly said in the meeting, per Axios. “Contrary to what’s been reported, H.R. and I are still here,” he added, referencing reports that Trump was considering ousting both his chief of staff and national security adviser HR McMaster. Kelly then apparently delivered a what sounds like a Trump White House take on the St Crispin’s Continue reading "John Kelly Reportedly Held Meeting Where Senior Staffers Joked About Firings"
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Brutal Washington Post Op-Ed Declares Rex Tillerson ‘Worst Secretary of State Since’ 1898

This post is by Caleb Ecarma from Mediaite


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Washington Post columnist Max Boot penned a brutal post-State Department obituary for Rex Tillerson, calling the ousted secretary of state the “worst” person to hold that position since 1898. Tillerson, who was removed from his position in a messy ouster that still hasn’t really been explained, lost his post amid yet another major White House shake-up under President Donald Trump. While his ruthless firing may have been first announced in a Trump tweet, Boot did not spare much sympathy for the former ExxonMobil chief. The writer accused Tillerson of caused “morale” to plummet at the State Department, that was followed by “an exodus of talent” — pointing to the almost one-third of senior officials who left their positions amid the Trump administration led State Department. Boot continued his attacks on Tillerson by pointing to the following errors:
“Tillerson was as unsuccessful at managing the president as he was his Continue reading "Brutal Washington Post Op-Ed Declares Rex Tillerson ‘Worst Secretary of State Since’ 1898"
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Morning Joe Makes Case That Tillerson Firing Proves Trump is a ‘Moron’: ‘This is a Hot Mess’

This post is by Ken Meyer from Mediaite


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Morning Joe was not impressed with President Trump today as they reviewed the implications of Rex Tillerson‘s firing as Secretary of State. During today’s show, Joe Scarborough bashed Trump for his habit of demeaning and humiliating members of his administration, even as they walk away from the White House. Scarborough noted how Trump and Tillerson contradicted each other on foreign policy in the past, and he eventually brought up the report about the time where the president ordered the secretary of state to eat a salad. “Why don’t you, Mr. President, if you’re so damn hungry,” Scarborough said. “It does no good to humiliate yourself for Donald Trump. When are people going to learn that?” Later on, as the panel held an interview with Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), Mika Brzezinski wondered whether Trump made his decision because he held a grudge against Tillerson for supposedly calling him Continue reading "Morning Joe Makes Case That Tillerson Firing Proves Trump is a ‘Moron’: ‘This is a Hot Mess’"
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GOP Sen. Charlie Dent Unloads on Trump Over ‘Deplorable’ Tillerson Firing: There’s ‘Chaos And Anarchy’

This post is by Aidan McLaughlin from Mediaite


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Sen. Charlie Dent was asked on CNN’s New Day by host Alisyn Camerota whether President Donald Trump’s stunning ouster of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday caused him concern — and the Republican senator didn’t hold back. “Rex Tillerson is a good man,” Dent said. “He was dealt a very bad hand. He didn’t play it particularly well. He he was never set up for success. He walks into the office and he gets a 30% proposed cut to his budget, he can’t hire anybody, he gets undercut by the president on diplomatic issues like North Korea. So he was always in a tough spot.” Dent went on to warn that the State Department is dangerously understaffed: “The State Department right now we don’t have enough qualified people there because many of the top Republican foreign policy officials and national security establishment types are disqualified from serving because Continue reading "GOP Sen. Charlie Dent Unloads on Trump Over ‘Deplorable’ Tillerson Firing: There’s ‘Chaos And Anarchy’"
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Kimmel Gets George Takei to Hawk White House ‘Departed Staffer Commemorative Plates’

This post is by Joseph A. Wulfsohn from Mediaite


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Jimmy Kimmel is now attempting to make a few bucks off the onslaught of firings and resignations from the Trump administration. Kimmel began by addressing the firing of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, which was of course done via Twitter. “Donald Trump spent more time firing Lil Jon than he did the Secretary of State,” Kimmel joked, referring to the Celebrity Apprentice contestant. The late night talk show host suspected that Trump likes to fire people “just so he can get a piece of going away cake at the party.” He also mocked the report that Trump said he came to his decision “all by himself.” “Yeah, like a five-year-old,” Kimmel reacted. “Of course you did it by yourself, there’s no one else at the White House anymore! It’s just you and your Slovenian captive.” Kimmel went on to say that just because these “eliminated” Continue reading "Kimmel Gets George Takei to Hawk White House ‘Departed Staffer Commemorative Plates’"
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Colbert Revives His Hunger Games Sendoff From The Election in Honor of Rex Tillerson

This post is by Joseph A. Wulfsohn from Mediaite


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Due to the avalanche of firings and resignations from the Trump administration, Stephen Colbert brought back a segment he did during the last presidential primaries. Back in 2015, when The Hunger Games was one of the biggest movie franchises, Colbert began saluting every candidate dropout from the primaries as the colorful character Caesar Flickman (made famous by Stanley Tucci) in what he called the “Hungry For Power Games.” Well, Flickman is back. And this time, it’s the “Hungry To Leave Power Games.” “Rex Wayne Tillerson, ah the joy of Rex,” Flickman began. “But who is- I’m sorry- who was Rex Tillerson?” His “tribute” of sorts started off noting that he was born in the “small town of ExxonMobil” and his net worth was $325,000,000 and nine-tenths of a cent.” He later addressed the time when Tillerson called President Trump a “f**king moron.” “Now now, Continue reading "Colbert Revives His Hunger Games Sendoff From The Election in Honor of Rex Tillerson"
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Trevor Noah Slams Trump For Firing Rex Tillerson Via Twitter: ‘At Least Slide Into His DMs’

This post is by Joseph A. Wulfsohn from Mediaite


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On Tuesday night, Trevor Noah addressed the latest Trump administration firing of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, or as he referred to him a “human grumpy cat.” “Working for the White House is basically like being in a Saw movie,” Noah said. “You show up, you get tortured for a while, and then you get killed off.” Noah blasted President Trump for not having “the balls” or “decency” to fire Tillerson to his face and instead made the announcement on Twitter. “Okay, I’m sorry, but that’s messed up,” Noah reacted. “How could you fire a man in a public tweet? At least slide into his DMs.” The Daily Show host then went into detail about the ongoing tensions that existed between Trump and Tillerson and used a recent example of when the White House announced that the president was going to meet with North Korean Dictator Continue reading "Trevor Noah Slams Trump For Firing Rex Tillerson Via Twitter: ‘At Least Slide Into His DMs’"
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Seth Meyers on Tillerson Firing: Hopefully It Will End This ‘Myth’ That ‘Serious People Can Rein in Trump’

This post is by Joseph A. Wulfsohn from Mediaite


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On Tuesday night, Seth Meyers had some fun at the expense of outgoing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Meyers began by poking fun at the way Tillerson reportedly found out that he was fired, which was by tweet from President Trump. “Even when you get fired from a Domino’s, the manager takes you to that crappy little office and tells you to your face,” Meyers said. “Tweets are for finding out which band is in town or which airline was mean to Christine Teigen.” The Late Night host then insisted that Trump didn’t fire Tillerson to his face, like he didn’t with former FBI Director James Comey, is because he doesn’t want to give anyone over six feet tall “bad news,” which he added is why the president is “jumping at the chance” to meet with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. Meyers mocked Tillerson, saying he “always Continue reading "Seth Meyers on Tillerson Firing: Hopefully It Will End This ‘Myth’ That ‘Serious People Can Rein in Trump’"
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Laura Ingraham Says Rex Tillerson Should’ve Left Long Ago: ‘If You Call Your Boss a Moron…’

This post is by Joseph A. Wulfsohn from Mediaite


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Laura Ingraham tonight weighed in on the firing of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, something she thought was long overdue. The Fox News host began by telling their viewers that they “shouldn’t have been surprised” by Tillerson’s firing, especially since tensions between him and President Trump have been reported for a while. She said the outgoing secretary “didn’t look well” during his “emotional” presser. Ingraham played a clip from an interview she had with Trump back in November. When asked if Tillerson was going to remain at the State Department, Trump responded by saying “we’ll see.” She then blasted the media for painting this firing as “White House dysfunction” and dismissed the supposed “chaos” by pointing to the Obama administrations numerous scandals like Benghazi, the IRS targeting of conservatives, and Fast & Furious, which she pointed out that no one was fired as a result, as well as Continue reading "Laura Ingraham Says Rex Tillerson Should’ve Left Long Ago: ‘If You Call Your Boss a Moron…’"
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Rachel Maddow’s List of Fired Trump Officials Grows: ‘A Totally Normal Typical Tuesday’

This post is by Caleb Ecarma from Mediaite


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Rachel Maddow‘s massive visual aid that includes the names of every Donald Trump official who has been fired, ousted, or left the administration grew on the “totally normal typical Tuesday” night with the addition of Rex Tillerson and others. Maddow, who has been keeping track of the list for some time now, noted Tillerson’s outing is “still a mystery,” but his name “nevertheless” went on the board with the others. The leading anti-Trump cable news pundit noted “camera position” has changed to show viewers a “bigger wall” with more room to add a third column of names. With the recent departures of Hope Hicks, Gary Cohen, and now Tillerson, even the longer-lasting names have been thrown on the wall, as Maddow explained:
“We had to add Hope Hicks, as she resigned from communications director, and Josh Raffel, as he resigned from deputies communications director — the one that worked Continue reading "Rachel Maddow’s List of Fired Trump Officials Grows: ‘A Totally Normal Typical Tuesday’"
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New York Post Pays Homage to 90s Trump Cover For Rex Tillerson Firing: ‘Worst Rex He Ever Had’

This post is by Aidan McLaughlin from Mediaite


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President Donald Trump’s hometown tabloid paid homage to one of its infamous front covers of the former New York businessman with its Wednesday edition — on the stunning ouster of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. “Worst Rex He Ever Had,” the New York Post cover blares. It’s an ode to a front page in 1990 that quoted Trump’s first wife Marla Maples saying the then-businessman and talk of the tabloids was the “Best Sex I’ve Ever Had.” Trump fired Tillerson on Tuesday, announcing on Twitter that he would be replaced by CIA Director Mike Pompeo. The ouster was less than ceremonious, with the State Department claiming that Tillerson only found out about Continue reading "New York Post Pays Homage to 90s Trump Cover For Rex Tillerson Firing: ‘Worst Rex He Ever Had’"
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Trump Reportedly Mocked Tillerson’s ‘Mannerisms and Texas Drawl,’ Called Him ‘Weak’

This post is by Josh Feldman from Mediaite


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As the reports keep coming out about the friction between President Trump and Rex Tillerson, a new one says the Commander-in-Chief liked to mock and mimic his Secretary of State. A new piece in The Washington Post gives some insight into the behind-the-scenes lead-up to Tillerson being fired today, including this:
Trump quickly soured on Tillerson and made no secret of his dislike. He mocked his mannerisms and Texas drawl, saying his secretary of state talked too slowly. In conversations with advisers and friends, the president would often list others he said would do a better job than Tillerson, who he frequently labeled “weak.” One source of weakness, the president felt, was Tillerson’s media profile. Trump told one adviser he was “amazed” at how much negative press Tillerson received. “This guy never gets a good story about him,” Trump said, according to this adviser.
Additionally, there’s some background Continue reading "Trump Reportedly Mocked Tillerson’s ‘Mannerisms and Texas Drawl,’ Called Him ‘Weak’"
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After Tillerson, Trump Reportedly Thinking About Firing VA Sec — And Giving Job to Rick Perry

This post is by Josh Feldman from Mediaite


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Let the “great Energy” continue! Two weeks ago brought news of Hope Hicks leaving. Last week Gary Cohn announced his retirement. Now Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has been fired and CIA Director Mike Pompeo is moving to that position. And now, per The New York Times, Trump is considering another big shake-up:
President Trump, fresh off replacing his secretary of state and C.I.A. director, is considering firing his secretary of veterans affairs and installing Energy Secretary Rick Perry in the post, according to two people close to the White House. Mr. Trump did not make a formal offer to Mr. Perry when the two men met on Monday. But the people said the president has grown impatient with the department’s current secretary, David Shulkin, and may want to replace him with someone already in his cabinet.
VA Secretary David Shulkin has come under scrutiny for a Continue reading "After Tillerson, Trump Reportedly Thinking About Firing VA Sec — And Giving Job to Rick Perry"
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MSNBC Analyst Jeremy Bash Tears Into ‘Wimp’ Trump Over ‘Weak’ and ‘Gutless’ Tillerson Firing

This post is by Rachel Dicker from Mediaite


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MSNBC analyst Jeremy Bash did not mince words when it came to how he felt about President Donald Trump firing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson via a tweet. “I just want to go back to this point about the manner in which Tillerson was fired — we’re talking about it’s mean, it’s embarrassing — it’s actually just weak,” Bash told Nicolle Wallace on Tuesday. “It’s like gutless. Only a wimp does that, someone who doesn’t want to face the consequences of telling someone directly: ‘Hey, this isn’t working out, I want to make a change.'” Bash, a former chief of staff at the Department of Defense and the CIA (as well as Dana Bash’s ex-husband), added that the move shows off the president’s weakness to the world: “I want to say our president of the United States is transmitting absolute weakness to everybody around the world,” he added. “And Continue reading "MSNBC Analyst Jeremy Bash Tears Into ‘Wimp’ Trump Over ‘Weak’ and ‘Gutless’ Tillerson Firing"
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Tapper: The Man Famous For Saying ‘You’re Fired’ Doesn’t Seem Able To ‘Say It To People’s Faces’

This post is by Justin Baragona from Mediaite


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At the top of his program today, The Lead‘s Jake Tapper took a swipe at President Donald Trump for not personally informing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson that he was firing the former Exxon CEO. “The man made famous for telling people ‘You’re fired!’ doesn’t seem to be able to say to it people’s faces,” the CNN anchor snarked, obviously referencing Trump’s previous job as host of The Apprentice. Tillerson noted in his emotional farewell statement this afternoon that Trump called him around noon today, roughly three hours after the president took to Twitter to announce Tillerson’s termination. A since-fired State Department employee said this morning that Tillerson found out he was fired when he saw Trump’s tweet. Tapper also remarked on the fact that within a 24-hour period, three top Trump administration officials had been axed, tossing out a Game of Thrones reference by noting it Continue reading "Tapper: The Man Famous For Saying ‘You’re Fired’ Doesn’t Seem Able To ‘Say It To People’s Faces’"
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Tillerson Delivers Farewell Statement Jam-Packed With Not-So-Subtle Jabs at Trump

This post is by Justin Baragona from Mediaite


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Hours after it was announced that President Donald Trump had fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and will replace him with CIA Director Mike Pompeo, Tillerson delivered an emotional statement in which he thanked those he worked with and expressed how proud he was to serve in the position. Tillerson also noted that while his last official day in State will be March 31, he will delegate his duties at the end of Tuesday to Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan. And he took a bunch of not-so-veiled shots at the person who canned him — something that was not lost on the political media.