While there were plenty of gasps, handwringing and pearl-clutching among some when President Trump abruptly fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday, one would have had to be completely blind to not see if coming.
Granted, the process of firing Tillerson could have been handled much better by Trump. Tillerson, by any standard, is one of the more accomplished secretaries of state we’ve had in recent times. Because of his resume, and simply because of the prestige of the position, it would have been nice if there’d been a face-to-face meeting in the Oval Office, a simple explanation of why it wasn’t going to work out, followed by a firm handshake and thanks for his service.
However, at the end of the day, every member of the executive branch serves at the pleasure of the president, and when POTUS is no longer pleased with that service, he may fire anyone he pleases — by carrier pigeon, if he so chooses.