WASHINGTON – Freshly confirmed Secretary of State Rex Tillerson got a warm welcome Thursday on his first day on the job, charming his new employees with a joke about needing all the prayers he can get.
His welcoming speech got off to a late start coming from the National Prayer Breakfast with President Trump.
“We apologize for being late,” Tillerson told the agency crowd. “It seemed that this year’s prayer breakfast, people felt the need to pray a little longer. But I certainly welcome them all.”
Tillerson is inheriting a contentious State Department where about 1,000 employees had expressed their official dissent to Trump’s immigration ban.
Tillerson acknowledged the hotly contested presidential election and differences of opinions among the State Department, which Hillary Clinton once led.
“We do not all feel the same way about the outcome,” Tillerson said. “Each of us is entitled to the expression of our political beliefs. But we cannot let other personal convictions overwhelm our ability to work as one team. Let us be understanding with each other.”
The former Exxon Mobil CEO outlined his expectations for the employees: Honesty, personal accountability, ethics and respecting colleagues.
“Honesty will undergird our foreign policy,” he said.
But Tillerson also warned that change will be coming.
“Change for the sake of change can be counterproductive,” Tillerson said. “That will never be my approach. But we cannot sustain ineffective traditions over optimal outcomes.”
Gracious and humorous, Tillerson expressed his “high regard” for the State Department employees and those who have died during service and pledged safety will be a “core value.”
He admitted he’s only been the job for 25 minutes and will be counting on their expertise.
“Hi, I’m the new guy,” Tillerson said, to laughs.
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