It has been reported that the US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, was close to resigning in July after several policy disputes and assorted other clashes with the White House. Tillerson apparently referred to Trump as a “moron” after a meeting at the Pentagon with Trump’s national security team and Cabinet officials. Vice President Mike Pence counselled Tillerson to at least remain in the job until the end of the year1.
Tillerson’s ire was increased by Trump’s speech to the quadrennial jamboree of the Boy Scouts of America, an organisation that Tillerson once led as national president from 2010 to 20121. Trump’s speech was so ludicrously incompetent and politicised, that the Scout organisation had to issue a statement declaring itself to be “wholly non-partisan and does not promote any one position, product, service, political candidate or philosophy”. Trump’s speech was unlike anything given by any president in the last 80 years.
It is worth comparing Obama’s speech (delivered by video in 2010, of 1 minute and 34 seconds) where he (a former Scout) told them that “scouts just like you have served your communities in ways big and small… During World War II, scouts played a vital role at home by running messages and selling war bonds” and that “11 of the 12 men who have walked on the moon” were former scouts, and he ended with: “In the years ahead, we’re going to depend on you, the next generation of leaders, to move America forward.”3
Trump, on the other hand spoke (in person) for 38 minutes and announced “you remember that incredible night with the maps, and the Republicans are red and the Democrats are blue, and that map was so red it was unbelievable. And they didn’t know what to say.” This was followed by: “And you know, we have a tremendous disadvantage in the Electoral College. Popular vote is much easier.”3 There was a degree of outrage from parents of scouts which precipitated the issuing of the statement mentioned above.
I only have one question for Rex Tillerson. Why did it take you so long to realise that Trump was a moron? Almost everybody I spoke with on the topic of Trump realise this long before he even obtained the republican nomination. Why did you take so long?
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