Cabinet choices: Trump likely to tap Exxon CEO as secretary of state

US president-elect rubbishes report of Russia’s role in polls

BALTIMORE: US President-elect Donald Trump is expected to name the chief executive of Exxon Mobil Corp as the country's top diplomat, a source familiar with the situation said, an appointment that would put in place an official with close ties to the Russian government.

News of Tillerson's possible appointment comes as US intelligence analysts have concluded that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Trump win the White House.

The choice of Tillerson further stocks Trump's Cabinet and inner circle with people who favour a soft line toward Moscow.

Tillerson, 64, has driven Exxon's expansion in Russia for decades and opposed US sanctions imposed on Russia for its seizure of Crimea.

Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded Tillerson Russia's Order of Friendship, one of the country's highest civilian honours.

Exxon's Tillerson emerged on Friday as Trump's leading candidate for US secretary of state over 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and three other people. Tillerson met with Trump for more than two hours at Trump Tower on Saturday morning. It was their second meeting about the position this week.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Tillerson was the expected pick but cautioned no formal offer had yet been made.

A senior official on the Trump transition team said the president-elect was close to picking Tillerson.

Trump spokesman Jason Miller said no announcement on the high-profile job was forthcoming in the immediate future.

No announcements on Secretary of State until next week at the earliest. #MakeAmericaGreatAgain," he tweeted.

‘Ridiculous’ reports

Trump rejected as "ridiculous"  reported US intelligence findings that Russia intervened in the presidential election on his behalf through targeted hacking, saying he did not believe it, according to an interview on "Fox News Sunday."

"I think it's ridiculous. I think it's just another excuse. I don't believe it," Trump said in the interview, which was taped on Saturday.

He blamed Democrats for putting out the media reports and said he did not believe they came from the Central Intelligence Agency.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 12^th, 2016.