Analysis & Opinions - War on the Rocks

Crisis in Foggy Bottom: What Rex Tillerson Can Really Learn From Alexander Haig

| Nov. 21, 2017

Last month, in the midst of the Trump administration's first foreign policy crisis — an escalating exchange of threats with North Korean after the regime tested new intercontinental ballistic missiles — Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's days seemed to be numbered. First came an NBCNews exposé detailing the secretary's discontent with the president's leadership, which forced Tillerson to issue a rare statement confirming his intention to remain in the position. Then came a New Yorker profile by Dexter Filkins, which found the secretary "at the breaking point," overwhelmed by the scope of decision-making, aloof from the State Department, and feuding with U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley.

Tillerson's own comportment hasn't helped instill confidence in his tenure....

For more information on this publication: Belfer Communications Office
For Academic Citation: Evans, Alexandra and Evan McCormick.“Crisis in Foggy Bottom: What Rex Tillerson Can Really Learn From Alexander Haig.” War on the Rocks, November 21, 2017.

The Authors

Evan D. McCormick

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