Intelligence expert: Trump's choice of Putin buddy to head State adds to his White House 'Kremlin cabal'

News that President-elect Donald Trump has picked long-time Putin friend Rex Tillerson to be his secretary of state was greeted with skepticism and surprise on Saturday, coming on the heels of the CIA's Friday night revelation that the Russians were involved in getting Trump elected.

Appearing on MSNBC, intelligence expert Malcolm Nance questioned the choice of the Exxon CEO by noting that Tillerson has a long relationship with Putin dating back to when Russian strongman headed Russia's secretive intelligence organization.

Nance asked whether Tillerson would reflect the needs of the country over the petrochemical industry he has long been a part of.

"Do we want a secretary of state who is going to be working hand in hand first and foremost for the U.S. and Russian petrochemical industries?" Nance  asked. "Most importantly, he has a very deep relationship with Vladimir Putin that extends back to when Putin was the director of the FSB, which is the modified version of the KGB."

"Does this person who speaks very highly of Putin, who has got the Order of Friendship from Russia, will he accurately represent the interests of the United States first or will he still be part of that cabal from the Kremlin that Donald Trump appears to have assembled in his cabinet?" he added.

Watch the video below via MSNBC: