Tillerson On Trump: ‘I’ve Never Questioned His Mental Fitness’

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson turns to leave after a media opportunity with Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj at the State Department in Washington, Friday, Dec. 1, 2017. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson turns to leave after a media opportunity with Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj at the State Department in Washington, Friday, Dec. 1, 2017. Tillerson is dismissing as "laughable... Secretary of State Rex Tillerson turns to leave after a media opportunity with Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj at the State Department in Washington, Friday, Dec. 1, 2017. Tillerson is dismissing as "laughable" reports that the White House is trying to get rid of him. Tillerson was asked about the reports during a photo-op with the visiting Libyan prime minister. Multiple officials say White House is considering a plan to replace him with CIA Director Mike Pompeo. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Friday of President Donald Trump: “I’ve never questioned his mental fitness.”

CNN, to whom the United States’ top diplomat gave the remark in an interview, said Tillerson was responding to a question about Michael Wolff’s new book “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump’s White House.”

In an interview Friday morning, Wolff told NBC’s Savannah Guthrie that “100 percent” of the people around Trump question his intelligence and fitness for office.

Tillerson reportedly called Trump a “moron” at a July meeting at the Pentagon, a report he did not deny when given the chance. (“I’m not going to deal with petty stuff like that,” he told an inquiring reporter.)

Tillerson told CNN that he intended to stay in his job “for the whole year” and that his relationship with the President “is a developing one.”

“In terms of what I would do different, I’m going to build on my ability to communicate with the President better,” he told the outlet. “I had to learn is what is effective with this President. He is not a typical of Presidents of the past. I think that’s well recognized. That’s also the why the American people chose him.”

Responding to Wolff’s reporting on Trump’s apparently short attention span, CNN reported, Tillerson said “I have never seen the President leave a meeting with a foreign leader.”

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. Maybe you should ?

    When can Rex retire with his “Public Service” tax break ? It must be soon ?

    I wonder what Rex will say in a week, then DT has been to the annual checkup…

  2. Avatar for byteme byteme says:

    Tillerson’s lack of curiousity about Trump’s mental fitness does not mean Trump is actually fit to hold a job at Wal-Mart, let alone President of the United States.

  3. Avatar for erik_t erik_t says:

    I’ve never questioned latter-day Trump’s mental fitness either - it’s plain as day the man is senile.

    No question, no question, you’re the question!

  4. Avatar for drf55 drf55 says:

    I think that’s the key to interpreting what Tillerson is saying here. He called Trump a moron. He didn’t question his mental fitness because he knows Trump isn’t fit to serve.

  5. Responding to Wolff’s reporting on Trump’s apparently short attention span, CNN reported, Tillerson said “I have never seen the President leave a meeting with a foreign leader.”

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

83 more replies

Participants

Avatar for valgalky23 Avatar for austin_dave Avatar for srfromgr Avatar for littlegirlblue Avatar for jloomis3 Avatar for clunkertruck Avatar for steviedee111 Avatar for sandyh Avatar for Lacuna-Synecdoche Avatar for sniffit Avatar for daveyjones64 Avatar for catfish Avatar for serendipitoussomnambulist Avatar for thomasmatthew Avatar for sjay1956 Avatar for muddylee Avatar for clauscph Avatar for spencersmom Avatar for jtx Avatar for jacksonhts Avatar for brian512 Avatar for not_so_fluffy Avatar for erik_t Avatar for moniker

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: