Trump tweets he will be leaving businesses before January 20

WASHINGTON: US President-elect Donald Trump’s tweeted on Tuesday that he will be leaving his businesses before January 20th to focus full time on the presidency, his sons Don and Eric to manage his business empire.

Even though I am not mandated by law to do so, I will be leaving my busineses before January 20th so that I can focus full time on the……

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 13, 2016

Presidency. Two of my children, Don and Eric, plus executives, will manage them. No new deals will be done during my term(s) in office.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 13, 2016

I will hold a press conference in the near future to discuss the business, Cabinet picks and all other topics of interest. Busy times!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 13, 2016

Meanwhile, President-elect Trump has tapped ExxonMobil chief Rex Tillerson as his secretary of state, US media reported late Monday, setting up what will likely be contentious confirmation hearings over the oilman’s ties to Russia.

“I will be making my announcement on the next Secretary of State tomorrow morning,” Trump said Monday evening using his favoured medium, Twitter.

News outlets including The New York Times, Washington Post and NBC News cited sources as saying the real estate mogul had settled on Tillerson after a drawn-out and public search for the nation’s top diplomat.

There had been eight or nine contenders for the job, including former CIA director David Petraeus, former UN ambassador John Bolton and Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker.

Also on that list was erstwhile Trump critic and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, who indicated on Facebook he was out of the running shortly after Trump said he would soon make his choice official.

“It was an honour to have been considered for secretary of state of our great country,” Romney wrote.

“My discussions with President-elect Trump have been both enjoyable and enlightening. I have very high hopes that the new administration will lead the nation to greater strength, prosperity and peace.”

CNN reported that Trump had called Romney to tell him he had not been selected.