Trump lashes friend, foe alike as top diplomat Tillerson begins work

By Dave Clark

US President Donald Trump stepped up his war of words against the world on Thursday, firing on friend and foe alike, even as his new top diplomat arrived for work.

Trump said that many countries are "really terribly taking advantage of us" and accused Australia of trying to foist more than a thousand "illegal immigrants" on the United States.

Not content with bashing one close ally, he repeated his claim that the 23-year-old NAFTA trade agreement with Mexico and Canada had been a "catastrophe" for the US economy.

And he returned to his charge against Iran, insisting "nothing is off the table" when asked if the US is preparing a military response to Tehran's latest missile test.

Almost two weeks into his administration, Trump is doing nothing to lower the temperature of international concern about his belligerent entry onto the world stage.

And into this maelstrom, on Friday, walked the man who will have to help him guide US foreign policy through the years ahead, newly anointed Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. 

The new guy

The 64-year-old Texan oilman, who left the chief executive's suite at ExxonMobil to come to Foggy Bottom, was greeted on arrival at the State Department by about 2,000 staff. 

"Hi, I'm the new guy," he told the crowd of diplomats and civil servants, before thanking them for their service and laying out the principles of his management style.

Trump's pick as Washington's top diplomat arrived to take charge of a department already simmering with indignation at the new administration's hardline immigration policy.

In an unprecedented show of defiance, almost 1,000 diplomats have signed a "dissent memo" denouncing Trump's suspension of refugee arrivals and a visa ban on seven mainly Muslim countries.

And there is deep disquiet of the aggressive stance that Trump, guided by White House strategist Steve Bannon, has taken in the field of foreign relations.

But Tillerson sought to reassure his assembled employees that he respects their expertise and patriotism, receiving several rounds of warm but relieved applause during his speech.

"I know this was a hotly contested election and we do not all feel the same way about the outcome," he told them. 

"Each of us is entitled to the expression of our political beliefs, but we cannot let our personal convictions overwhelm our ability to work as one team," he said to the staff.

Admitting that while the State Department's 75,000 employees have an average of 11 years experience each, and he had only been in his new post for 25 minutes, he vowed to get to work.

His meetings were to get underway immediately, with Germany's Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel in town and eager for assurances on European security from the new administration.

'Not a bad thing'

Earlier, Trump had hailed Tillerson at a national prayer breakfast, declaring that the oilman's friendship with foreign leaders like Russia's President Vladimir Putin would prove an asset.

"Some people didn't like Rex because he actually got along with leaders of the world," Trump said, referring to concerns that Tillerson is too close to the Russian president.

"You have to understand that's a good thing, not a bad thing. He is respected all over the world and I think he will go down as one of our great, great secretaries."

If, as supporters of the veteran executive predict, Tillerson does prove to be a sure hand on the tiller, not only US diplomats but America's friends abroad will be relieved.

In one of the latest exchanges, Trump seems to have picked a fight with Australia, long one of Washington's closest and most useful allies, in a telephone rant at its prime minister.

Washington and Canberra have played down reports that last week's call turned fiery and that an exasperated Trump hung up on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Turnbull admitted the exchange was "frank and forthright" - diplomatic language normally associated with a row.

And Trump was clearly annoyed to be asked to honour a deal made by his predecessor President Barack Obama to accept hundreds of refugees held in Australia's notorious offshore detention centres.

"Do you believe it? The Obama administration agreed to take thousands of illegal immigrants from Australia. Why? I will study this dumb deal!" Trump tweeted.

Trump's critics were horrified by his tone.

Senator John McCain, a leading Republican foreign policy hawk, described Australia as one of America's "staunchest allies" and phoned its ambassador to apologise for Trump's behaviour.