Social conservative leader Tony Perkins blasts Rex Tillerson nomination

Colin Campbell
·Editorial Director

Tony Perkins, an influential conservative voice on social issues, published a scathing attack on Rex Tillerson on Monday, just before President-elect Donald Trump officially chose the ExxonMobil CEO to be his secretary of state.

“The Left, which doesn’t usually need a reason to oppose Trump’s choices, won’t find many here, since the ExxonMobil executive may be the greatest ally liberals have in the Cabinet for their abortion and LGBT agendas,” Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, wrote in his column on the socially conservative group’s website.

He continued: “That should be particularly alarming to conservatives, who’ve spent the last eight years watching the State Department lead the global parade for the slaughter of innocent unborn children and the intimidation of nations with natural views on marriage and sexuality.”

Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council leads the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. (Photo: Mike Segar/Reuters)
Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council leads the Pledge of Allegiance at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. (Photo: Mike Segar/Reuters)

Perkins took exception to Tillerson’s record at the Boy Scouts of America, where he served as president. The Dallas Morning News reported that Tillerson played a key role in convincing the group to accept gay youths. Perkins also blasted Tillerson for allowing ExxonMobil’s money to flow to Planned Parenthood, though the company told BuzzFeed that the giving was part of a company program matching voluntary charitable donations by its employees.

“To hear that Donald Trump may be appointing a man who not only led the charge to open the Boy Scouts to gay troop leaders but whose company directly gives to Planned Parenthood is upsetting at best,” Perkins wrote.

Tillerson may also face resistance from conservatives on other issues.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., a key member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, issued a statement on Tuesday saying he had serious concerns about Tillerson’s ties to Russia, which once gave him its Order of Friendship Award. And Breitbart News, a right-wing news site affiliated with Trump, criticized Tillerson’s stance on Common Core educational standards.