Tillerson plays down tensions with Trump

[webfact]

Tillerson plays down tensions with Trump

By Sarah N. Lynch

 

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson attends an event of President Donald Trump to introduce his Secretary of Homeland Security nominee Kirstjen Nielsen in the East Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., October 12, 2017. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Sunday minimized tensions with his boss, President Donald Trump, and brushed aside comments from an influential lawmaker, who compared Trump's undermining of his top diplomat to a public castration.

 

"I am fully committed to his objectives. I agree with his objectives. I agree with what he is trying to do," Tillerson said of Trump on CNN's 'State of the Union' program.

 

Tillerson's tenure as secretary of state has been dogged by rumors about rifts with Trump over policy. Earlier this month, Trump undercut Tillerson in a Twitter message, saying the secretary of state was wasting his time trying to negotiate with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

 

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker said Trump's comments were the equivalent of castrating the secretary in public.

 

"I checked. I'm fully intact," Tillerson said when asked about Corker's comments on CNN.

 

Tillerson repeatedly declined to answer a question about a report by NBC News that said the secretary of state had called Trump a "moron" during a private meeting in July with U.S. officials.

 

The secretary of state accused CNN moderator Jake Tapper of trying "make a game" out of pressing him on the "moron" comment.

 

"I'm not playing," Tillerson said.

 

Tillerson has often found himself at odds with the president on a range of issues, from withdrawing from the Paris agreement on climate change to North Korea and, at times, Iran, according to current and former U.S. officials and news media reports.

 

Signs of tensions between Trump and Tillerson have raised questions among in foreign capitals about whether the secretary of state speaks for the administration.

 

Tillerson has batted away rumors that he might resign.

 

Nikki Haley, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, has been mentioned as a possible replacement to Tillerson should he step down.

 

She said she was happy being in New York, where the United Nations is based, and said that from what she has observed Trump and Tillerson have a constructive relationship.

 

"The secretary puts out as many options for the president as he can. He makes a decision, there's a mutual respect, and they go forward. And so everything that I have witnessed, all was fine," she said.

 

Tillerson acknowledged in a separate appearance on CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday that he and the president "don't agree on everything."

 

"Sometimes he changes his mind," Tillerson said.

 

"I will work as hard as I can to implement his decisions successfully."

 

(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; additional reporting by Richard Cowan; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-10-16

[kamahele]

The most telling part of his interviews is when he refuses to answer the  question "did you refer to the president as a moron". His refusal to answer seems to be a confirmation.

[Srikcir]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

"Sometimes he changes his mind,"

I wish Trump would just change jobs.

[dogpatch55]

Everyone knows Trump is a moron, and so are those that voted for him!

[Jingthing]

8 hours ago, kamahele said:

The most telling part of his interviews is when he refuses to answer the  question "did you refer to the president as a moron". His refusal to answer seems to be a confirmation.

Of course it is.

It's better that he knows what he's dealing with (the moron potus) but this doesn't help his job security.

What a thankless job anyway. Working under that immoral and DANGEROUS conman. 

Edited October 16, 2017 by Jingthing

[boomerangutang]

Tillerson is a dim-witted Texas hound dog, but that's about as good as we can expect from a Trump nominee in high office.  

[hgma]

I am convinced this man is staying aboard to prevent rather then implement any stupid and dangerous moves by Trump!

 

[Thaidream]

I am convinced that Tillerson; General Mattis-SecDef; and General Kelly-Chief of WH Staff are the ones who keep Trump in as much check as possible. It is a sad narrative when the President of the US is viewed as unstable by members of his own cabinet.  However, to invoke the 25th Amendment- they need VP Mike Pence and others on board and that is going to be a tough proposition.