President-Elect Donald J. Trump taps ExxonMobil CEO as Secretary of State

Rex Tillerson

Story by The Hill
Written by Rebecca Savarsky

President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Rex Tillerson as his Secretary of State, despite deep skepticism in the Senate over the Exxon Mobil CEO's ties to Russia.

In a statement released by his transition team early Tuesday, Trump called Tillerson's career "the embodiment of the American dream."

“Through hard work, dedication and smart deal making, Rex rose through the ranks to become CEO of ExxonMobil, one of the world’s largest and most respected companies," the president-elect said, adding that Tillerson's "tenacity, broad experience and deep understanding of geopolitics" make him an excellent choice.

"He will promote regional stability and focus on the core national security interests of the United States. Rex knows how to manage a global enterprise, which is crucial to running a successful State Department, and his relationships with leaders all over the world are second to none," Trump added.

Trump in a tweet later called Tillerson "one of the truly great business leaders of the world."

Trump Tweet Quote: "I have chosen one of the truly great business leaders of the world, Rex Tillerson, Chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil, to be Secretary of State."

Read More: http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/309868-trump-taps-exxon-ceo-as-secretary-of-state