In farewell speech, Rex Tillerson bid adieu to 'mean-spirited' Washington

Rex Tillerson.
(Image credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

On his last day at the State Department, outgoing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson gave a farewell speech that never mentioned President Trump by name but did include a jab at Washington, D.C.

"This can be a very mean-spirited town," the Texan said Thursday. "But you don't have to participate in that." He asked that "each of you undertake to ensure one act of kindness each day toward another person," and reminded the State Department staffers that their integrity "belongs to you. Only you can relinquish it or allow it to be compromised." Tillerson also said the United States "faces many challenges — in some instances perplexing foreign affairs relationships, and in other instances serious national security threats," and "in these times, your continued diligence and devotion to the State Department's mission has never been more necessary."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.