Rex Tillerson insists he never questioned Trump's mental fitness

Rex Tillerson in a Cabinet meeting
(Image credit: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told CNN on Friday that he has never doubted the sound mental health of President Trump. "I've never questioned his mental fitness," Tillerson said. "I have no reason to question his mental fitness."

The comments came in response to the Friday release of author Michael Wolff's White House tell-all book, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, in which Tillerson and other officials are reported to have questioned the president's mental veracity and compared him to a "child" who needs "immediate gratification." Trump has called the book "really boring and untruthful," and said it is full of "made up" stories.

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Jessica Hullinger

Jessica Hullinger is a writer and former deputy editor of The Week Digital. Originally from the American Midwest, she completed a degree in journalism at Indiana University Bloomington before relocating to New York City, where she pursued a career in media. After joining The Week as an intern in 2010, she served as the title’s audience development manager, senior editor and deputy editor, as well as a regular guest on “The Week Unwrapped” podcast. Her writing has featured in other publications including Popular Science, Fast Company, Fortune, and Self magazine, and she loves covering science and climate-related issues.