Rex Tillerson confirms 'commitment' to Trump after reports that he called the president a 'moron'

(Image credit: Screenshot/Twitter/FoxNews)

published 4 October 2017

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson attempted to defuse rumors that he is unhappy in the Trump administration Wednesday, after reports surfaced that he called President Trump a "moron" in a private Pentagon meeting over the summer.

"My commitment to the success of our president and our country is as strong as it was on the day I accepted his offer," he said in a rare statement to the press.

After Trump gave an overly partisan campaign-style talk to the Boy Scouts over the summer, Tillerson — an Eagle Scout and former president of the Boy Scouts of America — threatened to quit, NBC News reported Wednesday. Tensions flared again last weekend when Trump tweeted that Tillerson should stop trying to use diplomacy on North Korea, right after Tillerson had announced direct contact with Pyongyang.

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Tillerson called the stories "erroneous" and said that reports he name-called the president are "petty nonsense." Trump tweeted: "The @NBCNews story has just been totally refuted by Sec. Tillerson and @VP Pence. It is #FakeNews. They should issue an apology to AMERICA!" Jeva Lange

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.