Rex Tillerson Gets Support from GOP Establishment

Gerald Seib: “Mr. Tillerson is hardly a member of the foreign-policy establishment, Republican or Democrat. He is a lifelong businessman, with no government experience and no diplomatic background. He was a surprise choice, and in many quarters a controversial one. Critics cite his company’s extensive business dealings in countries where he would have to execute American foreign policy, and in particular his close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.”

“Yet Mr. Tillerson has the most significant figures in the Republican foreign-policy establishment in his corner. His name was suggested to Mr. Trump by Robert Gates, the former defense secretary and director of central intelligence… Together, those figures represent the core of the Republican leadership team that steered American foreign policy through the 12 years of the presidencies of ​Mr. Bush and his father, ​George H.W. Bush.”

For members: One Issue May Explain the Entire Trump Administration