To expect the level of polish we get from career politicians out of Tillerson and the rest of the Trump cabinet might be asking too much. It is reasonable, however, to expect that these men and women should serve their country honestly. Unfortunately, recent statements by Tillerson raise some questions about the secretarys honesty. Its a theme thats becoming far too common inside the Trump White House.
Climate Change
One issue many Americans are concerned isnt being handled appropriately by the Trump administration is climate change. After Barrack Obamas administration made progress in the fight to preserve our earthly home for future generations, Trumps seems determined to undo everything that was accomplished.
Tillerson has played a lead role in this effort, claiming that the global temperature record has been unchanged for the last decade. Thats a statement that flies in the face of established research by not one, but many esteemed figures within the scientific community.
Persian vs. Arabian Gulf
Another fishy move by Tillerson took place when he spoke June 9th, 2017 about the developing situation in the middle east and Qatar. Tillerson broke from the decades-old convention of referring to the body of water between Saudi Arabia and Iran as the Arabian Gulf.
While the term isnt completely undefined, Persian Gulf has been the recognized name for this waterway since the year 1917. While journalistic institutions might struggle with the term at times, Tillersons choice of wording in this case might not be a simple mistake.
Iran has long insisted on the use of Persian Gulf, a term that suggests the gulf falls under Iranian control. While the term flares tempers in the Arab world, Tillerson chose to use its alternative. Perhaps to slight Iran, or associate conflict in the region with Arab states.
A Pattern of Dishonesty
You would have to be living under a rock at this point to have avoided all the times Trump and his team have been caught changing their story.
Trump himself took criticism for reversing his position on a Muslim ban during his campaign. He was skewered by the media after abruptly reversing his position on the importance of NATO and most recently has given a number of stories about the events leading up to the firing of former FBI director James Comey.
More than Coincidence
As many in the media have pointed out, endorsing a policy of dishonesty inside the White House is a toxic and dangerous move. The obvious consequence of which is that the United States credibility as a nation will be impacted.
Repeat offenses by others inside the Trump administration seem to indicate that this is exactly whats going on. Press secretary Sean Spicer has come under so much pressure from the media the administration hardly even holds press conferences anymore.
Presidential Counselor Kellyanne Conway chose to distort facts so often during and after campaign season that it led to the creation of the now infamous phrase alternative facts, a term that surfaced following the conversation about Trumps false inauguration attendance numbers.
Even Attorney General Jeff Sessions credibility has come under question following his hearing in front of the Senate intelligence committee. While Sessions was never caught in an outright lie, the committee repeatedly pointed to his unwillingness to answer direct questions. On multiple occasions, Sessions provided half-answers about meetings with Russian government officials.
The Long-Term Consequences
Trumps administration has done two things by making no attempt to hide their tactics of distorting the truth. They have traded the respect of foreign officials to look confident in the eyes of their base, and they have undermined a precedent about the way that American presidential administrations operate.
The first outcome is immediately detrimental. Whereas previous American presidents demanded respect and stood for the ideals of integrity and truth, Trump has been mocked and even scorned by dignitaries from Great Britain, France and Australia, all close partners of the US in the past.
If future presidential candidates dont take steps to raise the proverbial standard of play, this rhetoric of insincerity could poison Americas political dialog for decades to come.
Lies Beget more Lies
The fallacies that Rex Tillerson has tried to pass are in many ways less notable than those of his colleagues. Challenging climate science is nothing new, and his comments on the gulf may or may not have been pre-meditated.
Nevertheless, Tillerson is part of the new class. He didnt play any role in building Trumps political machine, and that makes it more frightening to see him adopting this tactic. No presidential cabinet is perfect, but what are the repercussions of one thats perfectly corrupt?
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