JEDDAH: Several US media reports are insinuating that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson intends to resign.
Citing two anonymous sources close to America’s top diplomat, an earlier CNN report stated that friends of Tillerson have seen that he is becoming increasingly frustrated with the administration of US President Donald Trump.
The two sources, who are privy to Tillerson’s conversations with friends, stated over the weekend that they would not be surprised if there was a “Rexit” before the end of the year.
However, the US State Department told Arab News in an email response that “the secretary is committed to staying.”
Tillerson is a former chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil, and once said he only took the government job because his wife thought it was a good idea. Whether he stays or goes remains to be seen — but what is abundantly clear is that not everything has been smooth for him at the White House.
Part of Tillerson’s frustration is believed to be the result of a recent White House shake-up, in which top advisers were overruled over the hiring of Anthony Scaramucci as communications director after former White House press secretary Sean Spicer resigned.
Adding to the 65-year-old Texan’s alleged disenchantment with his job was the blocking of a number of people he had wished to appoint, most notably Elliott Abrams, whom the secretary of state wanted to be second-in-command.
The US president and his secretary of state have also shown a lack of cohesion over some policy matters, notably over the Qatar crisis.
Tillerson pushed for remaining neutral in the measures taken against Qatar in early June.
Other troubles that have apparently frustrated Tillerson include a recent spat he had with Jared Kushner about staffing in which Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser called him “unprofessional.”
Mixed reports over Tillerson’s resignation as US secretary of state
Mixed reports over Tillerson’s resignation as US secretary of state
White House to present plans for Trump’s East Wing ballroom in January
- The new ballroom, which Trump has said would cost $400 million and would dwarf the adjacent White House building
PALM BEACH, Florida: The White House will unveil new details on President Donald Trump’s planned East Wing ballroom during a hearing early next month, according to a federal commission tasked with reviewing the project.
The new ballroom, which Trump has said would cost $400 million and would dwarf the adjacent White House building, has been challenged in court by preservationists, while Democratic lawmakers have called it an abuse of power and are investigating which donors are supporting it.
The National Capital Planning Commission, chartered by Congress to manage planning for Washington-area federal lands, said on its website that the White House will provide an “information presentation” on plans to rebuild the East Wing during a commission meeting on January 8.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The commission, chaired by a White House aide and onetime personal lawyer to Trump, Will Scharf, has declined to review the demolition of the former East Wing, preparation activities at the site, or potential effects to historic properties, in what would mark the biggest change to the historic property in decades.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a nonprofit organization chartered by Congress, is suing to halt the construction, arguing that the proposed 90,000 square foot (8,360 square meter) ballroom would dwarf the rest of the White House, at 55,000 square feet.
The judge in the case earlier this month declined to issue a temporary restraining order against work on the project, noting among other things that the size, scale and other specifications had not been finalized. Another hearing is scheduled for next month. The president, a one-time real estate developer, has taken a hands-on role in what he has described as sprucing up the White House and the US capital city ahead of celebrations next year marking the Declaration of Independence’s 250th anniversary.
He has also proposed a new grand arch near Washington, while decorating the Oval Office extensively in gold leaf and installing plaques there offering his personal take on his predecessors’ legacies.
The former East Wing was largely demolished in October, with comparatively little public notice or consultation.
In a recent notice posted online, the planning commission said a formal review taking place this coming spring will consider topics including lines of sight, public space and landscapes. Members of the public will be allowed to submit comments or testify during the review, it said.
