US President Donald Trump said he was unsure whether his top diplomat, Rex Tillerson, would remain in his post for the rest of Trump’s term in the White House and was “not happy” that some State Department staff were not supporting his agenda.
On thursday, Trump attacked the department under Tillerson, the secretary of state, and said he alone determines US foreign policy.
“The one that matters is me,” Trump said. “I’m the only one that matters because, when it comes to it, that’s what the policy is going to be.”
Asked if he planned to keep Tillerson on board for the rest of his term, Trump told Fox, “Well, we’ll see. I don’t know.”
Trump is heading to Asia on a 11-day trip with Tillerson following months of conflict between the two.
Tensions between Trump, a real estate developer and reality television star who took office in January, and Tillerson, the former chief executive officer at energy major Exxon Mobil Corp., resurfaced last month amid reports that Tillerson had called Trump a “moron” and had considered resigning over the summer.
Tillerson, in an unusual news conference at the time, said he never considered leaving. Trump later said they had a good relationship but criticized Tillerson for being weak.
Tillerson’s State Department has also been at odds with the White House over various global issues, including rising tensions over North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.
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