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Tillerson Nomination Completes Corporate Takeover of Trump Administration

Dec. 10, 2016

Tillerson Nomination Completes Corporate Takeover of Trump Administration

Statements of Public Citizen Experts

Note: Today, President-elect Donald Trump nominated Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson to be Secretary of State. Below are reactions from our experts.

Robert Weissman, President, Public Citizen

The real climate hoax is the crazy notion that we can ignore science yet still somehow avert a global catastrophe of unprecedented proportions. But with the nomination of Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State, it appears that President-elect Donald Trump aims to rush the planet toward a climate apocalypse.

This reality TV president, who can’t seem to tell the difference between fake news and reality, needs a fast lesson in climate realism. It’s going to take scientists and a mobilized public, both, to educate him. Perhaps, in an unexpected twist, Tillerson will help educate Trump. But the planet’s hope for averting catastrophe should not rest on such a bizarre scenario.

With this move, the corporate takeover of the Trump administration is complete.

Tyson Slocum, Director, Public Citizen’s Energy Program

Trump’s selection of Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State is unacceptable, as the Exxon Mobil CEO would blur the line between diplomacy, national interests and corporate interests. Where would Tillerson’s advocacy for Exxon’s bottom line end and America’s needs begin?

And while Tillerson has spoken of the need for “serious action” to combat climate change, his company’s actions have been far louder than his recent words. For years, Exxon has been at the forefront of funding climate denial and has financed efforts to thwart legislative and regulatory solutions to climate change.

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