Pompeo has already been preparing to take over the State Department
Rex Tillerson
From left   CIA Director Mike Pompeo and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson . ( Photos by Bill O ’ Leary / The Washington Post and Jabin Botsford / The Washington Post ) Since well before the White House plan to replace Secretary of State Tillerson with CIA Director Mike Pompeo became public Thursday   Pompeo had been informally preparing to take over in Foggy Bottom   reaching out to potential candidates for positions and collecting ideas . “ Pompeo is quietly looking at staff and figuring out how the department could be reorganized to be effective again  ” a White House official told me . A CIA spokesman declined to comment . Pompeo has been calling around to friends and top Republican foreign policy hands and asking them to help him get ready to be America ’ s top diplomat   if he is ultimately chosen   two GOP foreign policy sources who are familiar with the calls said . The Trump administration denied Thursday that the White House has drawn up plans to replace Tillerson with Pompeo and then appoint Sen . Tom Cotton ( R - Ark .) to be CIA director   as first reported by the New York Times . But White House officials confirmed to me that such a plan does exist   drawn up by Chief of Staff John F . Kelly . It is still unclear if President Trump has personally approved the plan   officials said   and the timing is also uncertain . In this clip from The Washington Post ' s weekly Opinions roundup   " It ' s Only Thursday  " opinion writers Jonathan Capehart   Jo - Ann Armao and Ruth Marcus weigh in on reports that the White House is planning to replace Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with CIA Director Mike Pompeo . ( The Washington Post ) State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Kelly called Tillerson ’ s chief of staff   Margaret Peterlin   Thursday morning to dispute the reports . Tillerson is going about his normal business   she said   and was not rattled . “ The White House statement confirmed there will be no personnel changes  ” she said . “ Secretary Tillerson enjoys this job   he has a lot of work to do .” Tillerson and Trump met twice Thursday . In a pool meeting with reporters   Trump answered questions about  Tillerson  simply by saying   “ He ’ s here . Rex is here .” Several State Department officials said Thursday they were happy that  Tillerson  was leaving and hopeful that Pompeo   if selected   would give them a fresh start with the Trump administration . Morale is low in Foggy Bottom amid budget and staffing cuts   hiring freezes   a departure of top talent and scores of vacant top - level positions . Tillerson ’ s support on Capitol Hill has also deteriorated in recent weeks as lawmakers in both parties openly criticized his ongoing reorganization initiative . The main State Department official in charge of that effort   Maliz Beams   quit her job earlier this week .  Tillerson  has consistently denied reports  he  is considering leaving or anticipating being pushed out . This week  he  pushed back against reports the diplomatic core is in trouble . Last month    he  denied being aware of the low morale and overall discontent with  his  leadership at the State Department . “ If it ’ s as bad as it seems to be described   I ’ m not seeing it   I ’ m not getting it  ”  he  said . If Pompeo does become secretary of state   his first task should be to repair the Trump administration ’ s relationship with the thousands of State Department employees who are ready to follow him   if he is ready to lead them .
From left   CIA Director Mike Pompeo and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson . ( Photos by Bill O ’ Leary / The Washington Post and Jabin Botsford / The Washington Post ) Since well before the White House plan to replace Secretary of State Tillerson with CIA Director Mike Pompeo became public Thursday   Pompeo had been informally preparing to take over in Foggy Bottom   reaching out to potential candidates for positions and collecting ideas . “ Pompeo is quietly looking at staff and figuring out how the department could be reorganized to be effective again  ” a White House official told me . A CIA spokesman declined to comment . Pompeo has been calling around to friends and top Republican foreign policy hands and asking them to help him get ready to be America ’ s top diplomat   if he is ultimately chosen   two GOP foreign policy sources who are familiar with the calls said . The Trump administration denied Thursday that the White House has drawn up plans to replace Tillerson with Pompeo and then appoint Sen . Tom Cotton ( R - Ark .) to be CIA director   as first reported by the New York Times . But White House officials confirmed to me that such a plan does exist   drawn up by Chief of Staff John F . Kelly . It is still unclear if President Trump has personally approved the plan   officials said   and the timing is also uncertain . In this clip from The Washington Post ' s weekly Opinions roundup   " It ' s Only Thursday  " opinion writers Jonathan Capehart   Jo - Ann Armao and Ruth Marcus weigh in on [TGT] . ( The Washington Post ) State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Kelly called Tillerson ’ s chief of staff   Margaret Peterlin   Thursday morning to dispute [TGT] . [TGT] is going about [TGT] normal business   she said   and was not rattled . “ The White House statement confirmed there will be no personnel changes  ” she said . [TGT] enjoys this job   [TGT] has a lot of work to do .” Tillerson and Trump met twice Thursday . In a pool meeting with reporters   Trump answered questions about  Tillerson  simply by saying   “ [TGT] ’ s here . Rex is here .” Several State Department officials said Thursday they were happy that  [TGT]was leaving and hopeful that Pompeo   if selected   would give them a fresh start with the Trump administration . Morale is low in Foggy Bottom amid budget and staffing cuts   hiring freezes   a departure of top talent and scores of vacant top - level positions . Tillerson ’ s support on Capitol Hill has also deteriorated in recent weeks as lawmakers in both parties openly criticized his ongoing reorganization initiative . The main State Department official in charge of that effort   Maliz Beams   quit her job earlier this week .  [TGT]has consistently denied reports  [TGT]  is considering leaving or anticipating being pushed out . This week  [TGT]  pushed back against reports the diplomatic core is in trouble . Last month    [TGT]  denied being aware of the low morale and overall discontent with  [TGT]  leadership at the State Department . “ If it ’ s as bad as it seems to be described   I ’ m not seeing it   I ’ m not getting it  ”  he  said . If Pompeo does become secretary of state   his first task should be to repair the Trump administration ’ s relationship with the thousands of State Department employees who are ready to follow him   if he is ready to lead them .