Susan Thornton survives Trump-Tillerson purge
The White House announced today that diplomat Susan Thornton’s name has been submitted to the Senate for the role of Assistant Secretary of State (East Asian and Pacific Affairs), a position she is currently holding on a temporary basis.
- Many observers feared that Thornton, who is one of America’s most experienced diplomats with a strong track record in east Asia, would be removed or sidelined from the dysfunctional Trump-Tillerson State Department.
- Buzzfeed’s foreign affairs correspondent John Hudson tweeted that Thornton’s nomination was a “major personnel victory for Rex Tillerson” that defied “efforts by China hawks close to Trump (Bannon/Navarro) to oust her from the State Department.”
Major personnel victory for Rex Tillerson: The White House has nominated Susan Thornton to become America’s top diplomat for Asia, defying efforts by China hawks close to Trump (Bannon/Navarro) to oust her from the State Department. pic.twitter.com/IG6K34R1IW
— John Hudson (@John_Hudson) December 19, 2017
- You can listen to a Sinica Podcast interview with Thornton: What actually happened at Mar-a-Lago?
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