Reprinted with permission from AlterNet.
The Washington Post released a lengthy report on Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Wednesday night, based upon “the accounts of 19 current and former senior administration officials and Capitol Hill aides.” The piece makes it clear that Tillerson is expected to step down.
The report describes Tillerson as intensely unhappy with President Donald Trump, whom he allegedly called a “moron” in private. The relationship between the two has suffered an “irreparable breach” that is likely to end with Tillerson’s exit from the White House.
Trump and Tillerson have vastly different personalities. Trump views Tillerson as “unsupportive” and dislikes his tone. On the rare occasions Tillerson has won a concession from the president on foreign policy, Trump “resents” his success.
Even the staff members of the two men are said to be in routine conflict with each other over their bosses’ differences.
One former senior official with continued White House access told the Post, “The White House thinking is unequivocal that he’s going to be gone soon, but the assumption is that he’s going to quit on his own so Trump can say, ‘Thank you for your year of service.’”
“Tillerson has no help. No team, no natural allies, and he’s not hiring anyone. There’s a kind of death spiral,” said a former senior official.
