Tillerson would be replaced by CIA director Mike Pompeo, known as a Trump loyalist, within weeks under a White House plan to carry out the most significant staff shakeup so far of the Trump administration. Tillerson was reported in October to have privately called Trump a “moron,” something which the secretary of state sought to dismiss. That followed a tweet by Trump a few days earlier that Tillerson should not waste his time by seeking negotiations with North Korea over its nuclear and missile program. Asked if he wanted Tillerson to remain in his job, Trump sidestepped the question on Thursday, telling reporters at the White House: “He’s here. The next day, Trump appeared to dismiss those efforts in a tweet, telling Tillerson that he was “wasting his time” trying to negotiate with North Korea.

Source: The Express Tribune November 30, 2017 18:22 UTC