Rex Tillerson warns of 'crisis in ethics' and threat of 'alternative realities'

William Cummings | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Tillerson warns democracy at risk Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has taken a veiled shot at President Donald Trump, warning that a growing national crisis of ethics and integrity has put American democracy at risk. (May 16)

Former secretary of State Rex Tillerson appeared to offer criticisms of his former boss Wednesday during a commencement address in which he warned of a "growing crisis in ethics and integrity" in American democracy.

"The central tenet of a free society, a free people is access to the truth," Tillerson told the graduating class at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Va. "It is only by a fierce defense of the truth and a common set of facts that we create the conditions for a democratic, free society."

The former Exxon-Mobil CEO said if "our leaders seek to conceal the truth, or we as people become accepting of alternative realities that are no longer grounded in facts, then we as American citizens are on a pathway to relinquishing our freedom."

Tillerson did not call out President Trump by name, but the president is known for an often loose association with the truth and Tillerson appeared to be referencing Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway's famous defense of "alternative facts."

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He told the graduates to demand that "America's future be fact-based, not based on wishful thinking, not hoped-for outcomes made in shallow promises, but with a clear-eyed view of the facts as they are and guided by the truth that will set us free to seek solutions to our most daunting challenges."

Trump and Tillerson appeared to have an uneasy relationship from the beginning of the administration and they clashed over several issues, including the Paris climate agreement and Russia. Tensions seemed to mount over disagreements on how to handle the threat of nuclear proliferation in North Korea and Iran. In March, Trump fired Tillerson by tweet and then nominated CIA head Mike Pompeo to replace him.

Tillerson also seemed to take a jab at a Trump's economic nationalist leanings, warning against the "anxiety and fear about growth in foreign markets and about the global movement of jobs," because "every nation has a right to aspire to a better quality of life, and that free trade and economic growth are the means by which opportunity is created for all people."

Tillerson told the graduates that integrity is "the most valuable asset you have" and advised them to "carefully consider the values and culture of the organizations in which you seek to work. Look for employers who set high standards for personal conduct and who reward ethical leadership."

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