Tim Kaine Comes Out Against Rex Tillerson, Donald Trump's Secretary Of State Pick

Sen. Tim Kaine, a Democrat from Virginia and former vice presidential candidate, announced Friday morning that he will be opposing Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of state, Rex Tillerson.

Tillerson, the former CEO of ExxonMobil, had a hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He faced many rounds of tough questions from the senators on Trump's proposed policies and on American relations with countries the world over. Many times during the questioning, Tillerson said he was insufficiently informed to comment on the issue at hand.

"I will oppose the nomination of Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State," Kaine said in a statement. "He has a notable record of business success and a laudable commitment to civic affairs. But he did not demonstrate the awareness, judgment or independence I expect from our nation’s chief diplomat."

During the hearing itself, Sen. Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican and former presidential candidate in the primaries, pressed the most intense lines of questioning. He asked Tillerson to comment on whether Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, was a war criminal for his actions in Syria and whether or not countries such as China, Saudi Arabia and the Philippines were human rights abusers.

Tillerson declined to offer much in the way of condemnation of these regimes.

With a 52-vote majority in the Senate, Republicans have the power to approve any nominee unilaterally, despite Kaine's opposition. If at least three Republican senators decide to withhold their support, however, a nominee could be stopped.

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore