On Tuesday morning, President-elect Donald Trump named ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson as his pick for secretary of state, calling him "among the most accomplished business leaders and international deal makers in the world" as well as "the embodiment of the American dream." There has already been pushback from Republicans over Tillerson's Kremlin ties. Tillerson, who has never held a government position, is close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and in 2012 he received Russia's Order of Friendship award.
He has worked at Exxon since the 1970s, and is a longtime contributor to Republican campaigns, although he did not donate to Trump. Former GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney, another purported finalist for secretary of state, confirmed Monday night that he had not been selected for the position.
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