US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would replace Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with CIA Director Mike Pompeo.

“Mike Pompeo, Director of the CIA, will become our new Secretary of State,” Trump wrote in a tweet, adding: “Thank you to Rex Tillerson for his service!”

What happened:

• Tillerson cut a diplomatic trip to five African countries short by one night and returned to the US early Tuesday morning. A senior White House official told Reuters news agency on the condition of anonymity that Trump had asked Tillerson to step down on Friday.
• Four hours after Tillerson arrived back in the US, Trump published the announcement on Twitter that Tillerson would be replaced.
• Trump later told reporters outside the White House he and Tillerson had disagreed on policy and been “talking about this for a long time.” One main area of disagreement was over the Iran nuclear deal, which Tillerson has supported.
• White House officials said Trump wanted to switch up his team in preparation for talks with North Korea.

Read more: ‘Rapid loss’ of US diplomats under Trump Administration prompts fears of weakened influence

What were the reactions?

Undersecretary of State Steve Goldstein wrote in a tweet that Tillerson “did not speak to the President” on Tuesday morning and was “unaware of the reason” for his firing. Goldstein was fired hours later.

US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley wrote on Twitter: “Congratulations to my friend and soon to be Secretary of State Mike Pompeo! Great decision by the President.”

Read more: Rex Tillerson: Company man and Putin pal

Foreign policy experts from Republican and Democratic administrations cast doubt over Pompeo, questioning the timing ahead of talks with North Korea and the choice of a vocal Iran hawk.

Rex Tillerson’s troubled year: Tillerson, a 65-year-old former CEO and chairman of energy giant ExxonMobil, was sworn in as secretary of state shortly after Trump’s inauguration in mid-January 2017. Rumors had circulated in October that Trump and Tillerson had fallen out after Tillerson had reportedly called Trump a “moron.” Tillerson never denied making the statement. The president also publically contradicted Tillerson at multiple points during his time in office, including on Iran, climate change, North Korea and moving the US embassy to Jerusalem.

Who is Mike Pompeo? Pompeo, a 54-year-old former Republican congressman from Kansas, is one of the most hawkish figures among Trump’s foreign policy officials. He has called for scrapping the Iran nuclear deal, regime change in North Korea and has downplayed Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election.

First woman as CIA boss: Trump also announced that Deputy CIA Director Gina Haspel would replace Pompeo at the head of the CIA. Her appointment would make her the first woman to take over the post. Haspel is a career intelligence operative who joined the CIA in 1985. She is a controversial figure over her alleged involvement running CIA “black sites” after the September 11, 2001 terror attacks. The New York Times and other US media previously reported she played a role in the destruction videos of US torture sessions.

What’s next? 

The Senate must approve Pompeo and Haspel before they take up their new positions.

amp/rc (Reuters, dpa, AFP, AP)

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