Investing.com - Stock market indexes were up slightly this morning on Wall Street as ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM) CEO Rex Tillerson testified before the U.S. Senate during his nomination hearing for the position of Secretary of State in the Trump White House, and declared that "destroying ISIS" was the top foreign policy priority of the new administration.
The Dow was at 19,923.83, up nearly 50 points, during the testimony. The Nasdaq Composite also increased to 5552.06.
Tillerson, called an "inspired choice as a nominee" by one of the Senators, has extensive experience overseas as a leader in industry. He has brokered deals on drilling rights in Russia, and is said to have $180 million in assets, now in a blind trust, from his career as chief executive officer of the oil producer.
During testimony, he stated that the defeat of ISIS was the top priority of the Trump administration's foreign policy team. "American leadership must be renewed and reasserted," said Tillerson, who was trained as an engineer. "We have many assets upon which to build. Our adversaries have been emboldened by our inaction."
Referring to the failed Obama policies in the Middle East, Tillerson said that America has allowed a "red line to become a green light" overseas.
"We are the only global superpower capable of shaping the world for good," said Tillerson. "Our actions and inactions have triggered a host of unintended consequences" like the rise of ISIS, and the war in Syria, and continued combat in Afghanistan.
Tillerson, a former president of the volunteer group, the Boy Scouts of America, further stated that, "the Boy Scout oath must undergird our foreign policy. We must be honest about radical Islam...which poses a grave risk to our nation." The Internet provides a way for ISIS and other radical Islamic groups to spread their ideology, Tillerson said. Any nation that aids or abets ISIS "must face consequences for aiding and abetting evil."
Russia and China are also foreign policy challenges for the U.S., he said.
"Russia seeks respect and relevance on the global stage," said Tillerson. "its recent actions have not regarded American interests."
Tillerson said that if he was the Secretary of State when Russia invaded the Crimea, he would have advised supporting Ukrainian forces with intelligence and military supplies to defend its rights.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), a failed candidate for president last year, asked Tillerson about the alleged cyberhacking of Democratic operations during last year's presidential election.
"I did read the interagency report released on Jan. 6. That report clearly is troubling," said Tillerson. "The threat of cyberattacks is a broad issue. Those are coming from many corners of the world."