US President Donald Trump announces on Twitter that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has been replaced with CIA Director Mike Pompeo.
“Mike Pompeo, Director of the CIA, will become our new Secretary of State. He will do a fantastic job!” he tweeted.
Trump also thanked Tillerson for his time working for the White House. And revealed that he had appointed Gina Haspel as Pompeo’s successor, the first woman to take on the prestigious position.
“Thank you to Rex Tillerson for his service! Gina Haspel will become the new Director of the CIA, and the first woman so chosen. Congratulations to all!” Trump said in a tweet.
In a statement, Trump said, “I have gotten to know Mike very well over the past 14 months, and I am confident he is the right person for the job at this critical juncture.”
“He will continue our program of restoring America’s standing in the world, strengthening our alliances, confronting our adversaries, and seeking the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula,” he added.
Tillerson, a former chief executive of ExxonMobil, was appointed to the job just over a year ago.
After Trump’s announcement, Pompeo gave a statement saying that he is “looking forward” to representing the President.
“I am deeply grateful to President Trump for permitting me to serve as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency and for this opportunity to serve as Secretary of State
“His leadership has made America safer and I look forward to representing him and the American people to the rest of the world to further America’s prosperity,” he said.