US president Donald Trump has rejected reports of an early replacement of US secretary of State Rex Tillerson. These are fake news, invented news, Trump tweeted in capital letters. He was not an opinion with Tillerson in certain things ("I have Last word"), but y work very well toger. America, says Trump, will be respected again.
US media had reported on Thursday that White House had developed a plan for replacement Tillersons. The current CIA director, Mike Pompeo, should become a new foreign minister and bring Senator Tom Cotton back to CIA.
Tillerson himself responded to questions from reporters about what he said about reports, on Friday only with one word: "ridiculous." Tillerson received Libyan Prime minister, Fajis al-Sarradsch, in Washington State Department for talks. It was first public reaction Tillersons to his rerelease, which was publicly discussed.
The spokesperson for US Department of State, Hear Nauert, had already described reports as inappropriate. The White House spokeswoman, Sarah Sanders, avoided a clear yes to question of wher President Donald Trump still has confidence in his foreign minister. Tillerson wants to travel to Europe next week as planned.
On Friday, US media, citing sources in White House, reported that reports of approaching detachment of Tillersons were deliberately scattered from re to express displeasure at foreign minister about his leadership.
About Tillersons possible detachment had been speculated for a long time. The relationship between Trump and Tillerson is considered tense. At beginning of November, Trump told Fox News that he did not know wher he would leave former Exxon manager on post for entire term. He was not happy that some of foreign Ministry did not support his policy, Trump complained at time.
Thus Trump had also publicly distanced himself from North Korea course of foreign minister, who had been engaged in diplomatic negotiations. Trump had accused Tillerson of wasting time. The two politicians were also at odds with nuclear negotiations with Iran or Paris climate protection agreement. In turn, US television station NBC reported that Tillerson had referred to Trump as morons after a Pentagon meeting.
Date Of Update: 02 December 2017, 12:03
