Tillerson's Fall Could Turn State Into a Hawk's Nest

The bad marriage of President Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson seems to be nearing an end, probably to the relief of both. The question is how the new national security team that appears to be coming will change American policy.

Tillerson for months has been a target of bad-mouthing from the White House, reflecting Trump’s feeling that the quiet, sometimes phlegmatic secretary of state was out of step with the president. The sense that Tillerson was moving from dead man walking to former secretary increased Thursday, as both The Post and the New York Times reported that the White House was readying plans for a transition at State.

The centerboard of this administration’s foreign policy team will remain Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, still steady in balancing competing views. But there will be a lot more sail aloft, adding speed and also danger. The changes will likely be seen as a signal of greater U.S. willingness to use force, which will increase anxieties at home and abroad about possible conflict with North Korea and Iran.