Gen X Chronicle brings you the latest installment of Today in Trump Land, where we chronicle the doings, comings and goings of the Trump Administration. I say comings and goings because no other American Presidential administration has had such a high rate of turnover as the current one. It would seem that as Special Counsel Robert Mueller closes in on Trump’s Russia ties, the canaries really are fleeing the coal mine.
So here we go.
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Tuesday, March 13th.
So it’s Tillerson today. The parade of the most senior Trump officials leaving the Cabinet continues. At 8:44 a.m., Trump dismissed Tillerson via Tweet, which is most certainly a first for a Presidential dismissal. It’s probably a first for most professions, in fact, since it’s such a scummy way of letting someone know they’re fired. Trump didn’t even have the balls to call Tillerson, much less see him in person.
Speculation about the reasons for Tillerson’s departure centers on his issuing of a strong State Department statement on Monday expressing full confidence in British Prime Minister Theresa May’s contention that the Russian government was responsible for a recent nerve gas attack against a former Russian spy in Salisbury, England. Earlier in the day Monday, Tillerson had called the attack “an egregious act,” but had said it wasn’t clear who was to blame. Now he was going full bore against Russia.
This was Tillerson’s and the State Department’s strongest direct criticism of Putin’s Russia yet, and many believe it’s what got him fired by Trump. There are other factors too, including Tillerson being more supportive of the Iran nuclear deal than Trump, and being less supportive of talks with North Korea than The Donald.
Tillerson was replaced immediately by CIA Director Mike Pompeo, who was a former Tea Party Congressman who’s taken a harder line on Iran and North Korea than Tillerson So on this appointment, I would say Jeez, freaking awful pick, Donald.
Replacing Pompeo at CIA is its current Deputy Director, Gina Haspel, who would be the first woman to lead the agency. Haspel is famous — I would say infamous — for overseeing a secret CIA prison in Thailand where a terrorist suspect was waterboarded. She also drafted a memo ordering the destruction of videotapes of brutal interrogations. So on this appointment, I would say Jeez, double freaking awful pick, Donald.
On top of all this, the White House fired an aide, Steve Goldstein, who had contradicted the White House’s version of the timing of the events leading up to Tillerson’s dismissal. OK then. Whatever. Lash out at whomever you want, Mr. President.
All in all, it was a very tumultuous day in Trump Land. But there’s one point I want to make crystal clear: I will cry not one fucking tear for ruthless corporate titan of industry, dedicated destroyer of the environment, top 1/10th of 1% of all wealth in the US holder, and former chief executive of ExxonMobil, the company singlehandedly helping to usher in the destruction of the planet, Mr. Rex Wayne Tillerson.
A lot of Washington folks are mourning Tillerson’s loss, contending that he was a moderating influence on Trump. This narrative has seeped its way into mainstream press coverage too, from The New York Times to the Washington Post to The New Yorker.
But it’s all bullshit. I mean please, people, let’s wake up. If you think Rex fucking Tillerson is the person who’s going to bring peace to the Korean peninsula, or end the 40-year era of animosity between the United States and Iran, or even, if you’re being so bold, bring down Vladimir Putin himself, then I must tell you, you are sadly mistaken.
This is a man who made his living sucking up natural resources from poor countries, while cozying up to Putin and expanding ExxonMobil’s investments in Russia. He’s an oil man, for chrissake.
There’s also the fact the ExxonMobil’s fossil fuel products are a key driver of global warming, and Tillerson wants us to drill for more oil, and natural gas, and fossil fuels, not less. So this is the man who cares about peace and the planet, or human rights violations in Russia, or assassination attempts in London by Russia? He’s spent his entire 50-year career cozying up to human rights violators, dictators and scumbags, from Nigeria to Venezuela to Russia.
Let’s also not forget that while at the helm of the State Department, Tillerson participated in the single largest forced exodus through firing and buyouts of State Department employees in the agency’s history. Including many senior diplomats at the Ambassador level. He also implemented major budget cuts throughout the Department. So this is the man who cares about peace and diplomacy?
And just in case you thought maybe Tillerson cares about social justice or some such nonsense, let’s just remember that Rex Wayne Tillerson, from Wichita Falls, Texas, the dedicated oil and company man, has a net worth estimated at $300 million. That’s right, $300 million. Do we really think this dude gives a shit about anything that matters, given his professional work history, his stratospheric wealth, and well, let’s just say it, the fact that he’s from Texas. Because that’s where progressive thinking goes to die.
So I won’t be crying for Rex Tillerson, just like I didn’t cry when Hope Hicks resigned, or when Gary Cohn resigned, or when any of these entitled evil reactionary hacks left the White House.
But it is a sign. It shows that every day that passes, Trump is losing more and more control of the ship. There are almost no other top aides left, other than Jared and Ivanka, Chief of Staff John Kelly, National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster, and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. And speculation rages that they’re all on their way out too, in the not too distant future.
So Trump’s ship is sinking, and the canaries are either leaving, or being forced out of the coalmine. Pretty soon there’ll be no one left for The Donald to talk to, or watch Fox News with while sharing a diet Coke.
In the meantime, though, I’m not crying for Rex Tillerson. He got what was coming to him for fifty years of robbing humanity and the planet. Hopefully he’ll face more struggle in the future. I mean with his record, Lord knows he deserves it.
