U.S SECRETARY OF STATE DENIES RIFT WITH TRUMP

 
 REX TILLERSON

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson firmly denied Wednesday that he had fallen out with Donald Trump and vowed to remain in post, dismissing a report that he had once called the president a “moron.”

For his part, Trump declared he has “total confidence” in his top diplomat after both had denied an explosive report that Tillerson became so frustrated over the summer that he considered resigning.
According to the NBC News story, which cited “multiple senior administration officials” but was described as “erroneous” by the State Department, Tillerson had referred to Trump as a “moron” at a July 20 Pentagon meeting.

Afterwards, the report said, Tillerson met with Vice President Mike Pence, who urged him to show more respect, and with other senior officials who urged him not to resign.
Appearing before reporters at a hastily organized news conference in the State Department, Tillerson denied the report and pledged Trump his full support.

“There’s never been a consideration in my mind to leave,” the former oil executive said.
“I serve at the appointment of the president and I am here for as long as the president feels I can be useful to achieving his objectives.”

Tillerson’s spokeswoman Heather Nauert later said the secretary had called Trump. “He told me that, Heather, it was quote ‘a good conversation’ and that ‘we’re all good,’” she said.