It sure looks like Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called President Trump a moron.
The secretary addressed the press on Wednesday morning to dispel a report from NBC News that alleged he threatened to resign over the summer. Tillerson said he’s never considered stepping down from his post in the president’s cabinet.
After he completed his prepared remarks, Tillerson was asked by a reporter to comment on another part of NBC’s report that claimed he referred to Trump as a “moron” after a July 20 meeting at the Pentagon. “I’m not going to deal with petty stuff like that,” he responded.
That’s a fair point, but Tillerson’s refusal to deny that particular part of the report in a press conference convened almost expressly with the purpose of denying another part of the the report speaks volumes. That he was comfortable outright denying reports he ever considered quitting, but would not even address the veracity of the “moron” report suggests the latter is true.
Tensions run high in the Trump administration, so it’s understandable for frustrations between high-ranking officials to boil over. Since coming to Washington, Tillerson said on Wednesday he’s been disappointed to observe that some people “try to sow dissension in an effort to tear us apart.” The secretary would likely apply that sentiment to the sources who brought this story to NBC.
Emily Jashinsky is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
