President-elect Donald Trump has reportedly chosen Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson as his secretary of state - and that is making many lawmakers nervous. Why? Because Tillerson appears to have a cozy relationship with Russia's Vladimir Putin. The executive has, for instance, made business deals with Putin and has previously disapproved of sanctions against Russia.
This information is "of concern" to Sen. John McCain and so, it appears to Sen. Marco Rubio, who tweeted out this not-so-subtle message on Sunday.
Being a "friend of Vladimir" is not an attribute I am hoping for from a #SecretaryOfState - MR
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) December 11, 2016
Sen. Bob Menendez joined the chorus of critics, stating Sunday that Tillerson's candidacy is "alarming and absurd" and would provide Russia a "willing accomplice."
Meanwhile, a Democratic National Committee spokesman said Tillerson's appointment is "another victory for Vladimir Putin."
Trump does not share these lawmakers' concerns. In fact, he suggested that Tillerson's ties to Putin are actually a plus.
Tillerson should expect several questions about his relationship with Putin when he shows up for his confirmation hearings.Trump not running from Tillerson’s connections to Russia. Says one of the things he likes about him is he’s "does massive deals” there pic.twitter.com/lJK9J6F0vV
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) December 11, 2016