Just The Good Stuff From Rex Tillerson's
On Wednesday, the Senate began its confirmation hearing of Exxon Mobil executive Rex Tillerson (watch it live here). The choice of the businessman with no government experience has recently come under scrutiny after it was revealed that Exxon appears to have made legally questionable trades with countries under sanction, such as Iran. Here's the important stuff from Tillerson's hearing.
We'll be updating this post as the hearing unfolds.
Muslim Ban? No. Muslim Registry? Maybe.
When asked about Trump's earlier proposed Muslim immigration ban, Tillerson was clear that he did not support it, saying:"I do not support a blanket type of rejection…but clearly we have serious challenges."
When asked about a registry, however, Tillerson expressed neutrality, saying "I would need to have a lot more information."
Tillerson Says He Believes In Manmade Climate Change, But Says It's Hard To Predict
Despite Donald Trump insisting manmade climate change is a hoax, Rex Tillerson indicated during his hearing that he believes in manmade climate change, at least to a certain extent.
Tillerson Breaks With Trump On The TPP
Donald Trump adamantly opposed the TPP during his campaign, so it was partly surprising when Tillerson stated that he doesn't oppose the international trade deal during his hearing.
Marco Rubio Digs Into Tillerson Over Russia
Marco Rubio didn't mince words when he grilled Tillerson on his stances on Russia. After extensive reporting on Tillerson's genial relationship with Vladamir Putin, Rubio made a point to excavate Tillerson's commitments. In a tense exchange, Rubio asked Tillerson whether or not he'd call Putin a war criminal:
Rubio went on to ask about Russia's noted history of political assassination, to which Tillerson responded: "these things happen."
You can watch their entire exchange below.
A Lot Of Protesting
Within just the first few hours of Tillerson's confirmation hearing, at least three separate protesters interrupted the businessman.
