Donald Trump has fired Rex Tillerson as secretary of state for occasional truthiness. He’ll be succeeded b CIA Director Mike Pompeo. Republican Sen. Tom Cotton who’d been mentioned as a possible CIA director in such an event, wasn’t tapped for the job. Gina Haspel, the current deputy director, will get the post.

This is a good news/bad news development for the country and Arkansas vis a vis Tom Cotton.

Advertisement

UPDATE: Vox speculates on why Cotton didn’t get the job. Alas, it’s more a reflection on Trump than Cotton.

So what happened? It depends on whom you ask. But the inescapable lesson is: Trump’s administration has become so radioactive that the president can’t bring in one of his party’s most promising stars, one of his closest allies in the Republican establishment, to take such a prominent post.

But Vox also says Trump might not have wanted to open up Cotton’s Senate seat.  Also, maybe Cotton — mean but no dummy — decided Trump might lose in 2020. Or maybe the ambitious Cotton decided he could build his own national ambitions better in the Senate.

Advertisement

Be a part of something bigger

As a reader of the Arkansas Times, you know we’re dedicated to bringing you tough, determined, and feisty journalism that holds the powerful accountable. For 50 years, we've been fighting the good fight in Little Rock and beyond – with your support, we can do even more. By becoming a subscriber or donating as little as $1 to our efforts, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers to expand our coverage and continue to bring important stories to light. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts, it's clear that our readers value our great journalism. Join us in the fight for truth.

Previous article A tale of two cities: Bentonville and LR react to planned student walkouts Wednesday Next article Who needs debate? It’s just the Arkansas legislature