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Mike Pompeo may not be able to fix the State Department that Rex Tillerson leaves behind

"If people at State disliked Tillerson, they might downright hate Pompeo," a former State Department official said.

  • While Tillerson's ouster from the State Department has been rumored for months, Trump's decision to fire him was abrupt.
  • Some are optimistic about his replacement, believing new leadership will help reinvigorate the State Department.
  • Others fear a new boss could bring more of the same — or worse.
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Rex Tillerson's ignominious tenure at the State Department came to an end on Tuesday morning, when President Donald Trump announced Tillerson's firing in a tweet.

White House Chief of Staff John Kelly reportedly alerted Tillerson to a looming change early on Saturday, while Tillerson was in Africa, though Kelly did not specify the timing. "You may get a tweet," Kelly reportedly said.

An administration official claimed Trump asked Tillerson to leave on Friday, though another White House official later said Kelly had told Tillerson he would be replaced, but did not give a timeline.

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Tillerson cut the Africa trip short and returned to the US on Monday but reportedly first learned of his firing from Trump's tweet. Steve Goldstein, undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs, said Tuesday morning that Tillerson "did not speak to the president and is unaware of the reason" for his firing and "had every intention of staying."

Goldstein was fired hours later, reportedly for contradicting the White House's version of events. ("I'm a big boy," he told reporters afterward.)

Trump, speaking to reporters about his decision to fire Tillerson, told reporters that, "I didn't discuss it very much with him. I made that decision by myself."

Trump said he and Tillerson "got along, actually, quite well" but disagreed on a number of issues. "I think Rex will be much happier now," Trump added, "but I really appreciate his service."

On Tuesday afternoon, Tillerson said Trump called him from Air Force One a little after noon to deliver the news personally. Tillerson said he would formally step down on March 31 and until then turn over his duties to Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan, who will be acting secretary until CIA Director Mike Pompeo, picked as his replacement, is confirmed.

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Tillerson's ouster left many in Washington and around the world frustrated and surprised. Despite frequent rumors he would be forced out, many assumed Tillerson had settled into the job.

"Should I even bother working today ... or should I spend my time sharpening sticks and going full Hunger Games?" a State Department employee told Jeffrey Smith, the executive director of nonprofit Vanguard Africa.

"God damn this day needs to end," a State Department official told Foreign Policy reporter Robbie Gramer.

Trump's relationship with Tillerson was often contentious, with the pair differing on key issues and at times contradicting each other in public. Trump also poked fun at his secretary of state — in one instance, Trump jokingly ordered Tillerson to eat wilted Caesar salad to avoid offending their Chinese hosts.

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Tillerson was also undermined in his day-to-day duties as the US's top diplomat.

Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, has assumed a broad foreign-policy portfolio, leading the White House's interactions with Mexico. Tillerson also reportedly expressed frustration in recent days that Trump decided to pursue talks with North Korea without including him.

North Korea was the biggest factor leading to Tillerson's ouster, according to CNN, while the president himself cited a disagreement over the Iran Deal.

Tillerson also attracted criticism for his management of the State Department, emphasizing his desire to shrink and streamline its operations rather than maintain or extend US influence.

Allies complained that strategic dialogues lapsed without explanation and calls went unreturned. Tillerson also oversaw what many regard as the withering of America's foreign-policy muscle — a number of State Department employees, including some of its most senior officials, exited, and hiring stalled.

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Tillerson reportedly complained that Trump was impulsive and lacked focus. In one high-profile incident, Tillerson reportedly called Trump a "moron" at the end of a National Security Council meeting in mid-2017. Tillerson dismissed questions about that report but never denied making the comment.

Trump apparently wanted to make the change now in preparation for potential talks with North Korea and forthcoming trade negotiations, three White House officials told The Washington Post.

But the future of the State Department's role in US foreign-policy decision-making remains unclear.

"President Trump is entering the biggest diplomatic negotiation of his presidency, so it's an odd time to remove his chief diplomat," Michael McFaul, US ambassador to Russia from 2012 to 2014, told Business Insider. "Moreover, his nominee, Mr. Pompeo, has no diplomatic experience at all."

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McFaul, now a professor at Stanford and senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, pointed to Pompeo's vocal criticism of the Iran nuclear deal as a potential weakness in talks with North Korea about the latter country abandoning its nuclear weapons.

"So Mr. Pompeo will face some major challenges if he is confirmed just on North Korea alone," McFaul added in an email. "I hope he will move quickly to hire some help."

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