Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Wednesday denied rumors that he’s planning on leaving the Trump administration.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Tillerson told reporters at the State Department, adding he would stay “as long as the president lets me.”
Tillerson spoke briefly with reporters before heading into a meeting with Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani in Washington.
CNN reported on Monday that Tillerson had growing doubts about President Trump and the administration, and he was considering an early exit from his post.
Sources told CNN that Tillerson was especially bothered by Trump’s decision to attack Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Twitter over his decision to recuse himself from the ongoing probe into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.
On Wednesday, Tillerson sought to dispel those rumors, telling reporters he has a “good” relationship with the president.
Tillerson’s comments came a day after State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert flatly denied that he was planning an early departure from the administration.
“We have spoken with the secretary. The secretary has been very clear he intends to stay here at the State Department,” Nauert told reporters Tuesday.
“We have a lot of work that is left to be done ahead of us. He recognizes that. He’s deeply engaged in that work.
“He does, however, serve at the pleasure of the president just as any Cabinet official would,” she added.
BY JOHN BOWDEN (Thehill ) – New York Morning
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