Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has become the latest and highest-ranking administration official to distance himself from President Trump, saying in a Sunday interview that the president “speaks for himself” in his response to racial hatred and violence. When host Chris Wallace then asked whether Tillerson was “separating himself” from Trump’s remarks, Tillerson answered, “I’ve made my own comments as to our values.”That was a reference to remarks Tillerson made Aug. 18 about inclusiveness and tolerance in a discussion of racial diversity and American values. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has defended Trump’s remarks, but most other top aides have not directly addressed the controversy. It is not clear whether Tillerson has raised his concerns directly with Trump, although the two speak frequently and Tillerson met with Trump last week at the White House. That caused Trump to say that North Korea was finally “starting to respect us.”“I don’t know that we’re wrong,” Tillerson said.

Source: Washington Post August 27, 2017 20:17 UTC