Rubio: Secretary of State should not be ‘friend of Vladimir’

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) alluded to reports that ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson will be nominated to be Donald Trump’s Secretary of State in a tweet Sunday.

“Being a ‘friend of Vladimir’ is not an attribute I am hoping for from a #SecretaryOfState – MR,” Rubio wrote, alluding to Tillerson’s ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Being a “friend of Vladimir” is not an attribute I am hoping for from a #SecretaryOfState – MR

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) December 11, 2016

According to multiple reports, Trump will choose Tillerson to head the State Department.

The news comes amidst separate reports that the CIA believes Russia meddled in the United States presidential election to help Trump win.

Reaction to the Tillerson news among members of Congress has been mixed.

While Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) called Tillerson’s ties to Putin “a matter of concern,” Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) said Saturday that the executive is “a very impressive individual.”

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which Corker chairs, will be charged with approving the nomination before it moves for a vote by the entire Senate.

Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), who also sits on the committee, said Trump “should expect a major battle if Rex Tillerson is nominated.”

Tillerson’s nomination could be blocked if three Republicans, along with the rest of the Democratic caucus, vote against him.