The New York Times and other outlets are reporting that President Trump will quickly replace Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
The switch is likely to come in the next few weeks and would involve CIA Director Mike Pompeo heading over to the State Department’s headquarters in Foggy Bottom. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., would then replace Pompeo at the CIA.
But I have a question: Aren’t these replacement picks the definition of “inside the swamp” appointments?
After all, Trump is intending to replace a former businessman, Tillerson, with a gentleman who until recently was a three-term member of Congress. Sure, Pompeo is doing some good work at the CIA, but his resume doesn’t exactly scream “outside the swamp” leader.
Similarly, while Cotton is a distinguished combat veteran, he is also a member of the U.S. Senate: the most auspicious of all Washington institutions. That doesn’t necessarily make him a servant of Trump’s pledge to “drain the swamp.”
Don’t get me wrong, I think both Cotton and Pompeo would be good choices for their prospective new offices. While Tillerson has had some successes, he has lost the respect of the State Department’s workforce and the president. That makes his position untenable.
In turn, Pompeo has Trump’s trust and is well-informed on matters of U.S. diplomacy and foreign policy. He would be able to get straight to work on his first day at the State Department. Cotton is also a tough-minded but intelligent leader who would probably revel in the CIA’s unique mix of risk-taking and high-brow analysis. He is, for example, especially well-suited to lead the CIA’s effort to counter Iranian aggression.
Still, right or wrong, Director Cotton and Secretary Pompeo would prove that Trump is increasingly at home in the swamp!
