President-Elect Trump To Name Exxon CEO As Secretary Of State
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – CBS News has confirmed President-elect Donald Trump will announce Rex Tillerson as secretary of state Tuesday morning.
Tillerson climbed the corporate ladder by managing Exon Mobil's account in Russia, and developing a good working relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
On Fox News, Trump was asked why a business executive would make a good diplomat.
"Well, in his case, he's much more than a business executive. I mean, he's a world-class player," he said.
The new secretary of state will have to deal with Putin amid allegations the Russian government interfered in the U.S. election to help Trump win.
It's something Trump has called an attempt to discredit his victory.
"I think it's ridiculous. I think it's just another excuse. I don't believe it," he said.
At Trump Tower, Trump met with former GOP rival Carly Fiorina and former South Florida Congressman Allen West.
Both were asked about the hacking scandal.
"We talked about hacking, whether it's Chinese hacking or purported Russian hacking," Fiorina explained.
"I think there are more important things – collapse in Syria Iraq is falling apart, Iran nuclear deal is horrific, China and Russia are expanding," said West. "I think that's where we need to focus our intelligence efforts."
Trump is postponing a planned Thursday news conference to discuss plans for dealing with potential conflicts stemming from his businesses.
A Trump spokesman now says the announcement won't happen until January.
