Rubio says he will support Tillerson, likely paving way for confirmation

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio has announced he will unhappily back Rex Tillerson for secretary of state, ending speculation that the former presidential candidate could sink the nomination of the ExxonMobil CEO.

Rubio, whom Trump defeated for the GOP presidential nomination last year, clashed with Tillerson at a committee hearing earlier this month. Rubio bridled at his refusal to label Russian President Vladimir Putin a “war criminal” or condemn human rights violations in Saudi Arabia and the Philippines in strong enough terms. He chided Tillerson over the need for “moral clarity.”

But now Rubio writes on Facebook that he will support Tillerson, despite reservations, in order to not delay the posting of a new top diplomat.

“It would be against our national interests to have this confirmation unnecessarily delayed or embroiled in controversy,” he writes.

Despite the support, most of Rubio’s jeremiad is devoted to raking Tillerson over the coals for his stances and answers during the hearing.

“Mr. Tillerson is likely to have a potentially unprecedented level of influence over the direction of our foreign policy. I remain concerned that in the years to come, our country will not give the defense of democracy and human rights the priority they deserve, and will pursue a foreign policy that too often sets aside our values and our historic alliances in pursuit of flawed geopolitical deals,” he writes.

A “no” vote from Rubio would not have doomed Tillerson’s confirmation, because the nomination could go directly to the Senate floor without a positive committee recommendation. But it would be an embarrassing rebuke to Trump.

— with AP