US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Friday he planned to stay in his post through 2018 despite speculation he might leave soon due to a fractious relationship with President Donald Trump, whom he reportedly called a &quot;moron.&quot;

In an interview with CNN, Tillerson said he thought the Trump administration had a &quot;very successful&quot; year in 2017 and was now executing policies that he hoped would lead to &quot;a very, very successful 2018.&quot;

When pressed on his plans, Tillerson said, &quot;I intend to be here for the whole year.&quot;

Tillerson&#39;s relationship with Trump appeared to sour over the course of the year. NBC reported in October that Tillerson referred to the president as a &quot;moron&quot; after a Pentagon meeting in July. In November, there were reports the White House was contemplating replacing him.

Tillerson told CNN the president had given him no indication his job was in jeopardy.

The CNN interview coincided with the release of a sharply critical book on Trump&#39;s first year as president. The book portrayed the US&nbsp;leader as behaving like a child and raised new questions about his fitness for public office.

Asked if he shared the assessment that Trump was not mentally fit for office, Tillerson said: &quot;I&#39;ve never questioned his mental fitness. I have no reason to question his mental fitness.&quot;

Tillerson said it took him a while to learn how to best communicate with Trump, who he did not know before becoming secretary of state. Tillerson, a former Exxon chief executive, said he and the president had different management and decision-making styles.

&quot;I&#39;ve had to spend a lot of time understanding how to best communicate with him so I can serve his needs with information,&quot; Tillerson told CNN.

&quot;Something I had to learn is what is effective with this president,&quot; Tillerson said. &quot;He is not typical of presidents of the past. I think that&#39;s well recognized. That&#39;s also though why the American people chose him.&quot;

He said he tries to brief Trump on all sides of an issue, &quot;even when I know it&#39;s not the side that he really wants to consider.&quot;

&quot;People should feel good about the way decisions are made because it&#39;s not just one of giving in to what you think the president wants, rather helping him see the full array of all of the options,&quot; Tillerson said.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Friday he planned to stay in his post through 2018 despite speculation he might leave soon due to a fractious relationship with President Donald Trump, whom he reportedly called a 'moron'

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Friday he planned to stay in his post through 2018 despite speculation he might leave soon due to a fractious relationship with President Donald Trump, whom he reportedly called a "moron." In an interview with CNN, Tillerson said he thought the Trump administration had a "very successful" year in 2017 and was now executing policies that he hoped would lead to "a very, very successful 2018." When pressed on his plans, Tillerson said, "I intend to be here for the whole year." Tillerson's relationship with Trump appeared to sour over the course of the year. NBC reported in October that Tillerson referred to the president as a "moron" after a Pentagon meeting in July. In November, there were reports the White House was contemplating replacing him. Tillerson told CNN the president had given him no indication his job was in jeopardy. The CNN interview coincided with the release of a sharply critical book on Trump's first year as president. The book portrayed the US leader as behaving like a child and raised new questions about his fitness for public office. Asked if he shared the assessment that Trump was not mentally fit for office, Tillerson said: "I've never questioned his mental fitness. I have no reason to question his mental fitness." Tillerson said it took him a while to learn how to best communicate with Trump, who he did not know before becoming secretary of state. Tillerson, a former Exxon chief executive, said he and the president had different management and decision-making styles. "I've had to spend a lot of time understanding how to best communicate with him so I can serve his needs with information," Tillerson told CNN. "Something I had to learn is what is effective with this president," Tillerson said. "He is not typical of presidents of the past. I think that's well recognized. That's also though why the American people chose him." He said he tries to brief Trump on all sides of an issue, "even when I know it's not the side that he really wants to consider." "People should feel good about the way decisions are made because it's not just one of giving in to what you think the president wants, rather helping him see the full array of all of the options," Tillerson said.

Tillerson says will stay as top US diplomat through 2018

The White House has responded to the speculations surrounding replacing of Secretary of state, Rex Tillerson on Thursday.

The White House said that he is still in the job and there are no personnel announcements at this time.

&quot;Secretary Tillerson continues to lead the State Department and the entire cabinet is focused on completing this incredibly successful first year of President Trump&#39;s administration,&quot; AFP reported press secretary Sarah Sanders as saying.

The dismissal by White House came after several media reports were doing rounds that plans are being drawn up to replace him with CIA chief Mike Pompeo.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/white-house-has-plan-to-replace-secretary-of-state-rex-tillerson-with-cia-chief-us-official-25545">White House has plan to replace Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with CIA chief: US official</a>

US President Donald Trump and Rex Tillerson also had policy differences.

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I told Rex Tillerson, our wonderful Secretary of State, that he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man...
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/914497877543735296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/whos-the-moron-trump-challenges-tillerson-to-iq-test-21258">Who&#39;s the moron? Trump challenges Tillerson to IQ test</a>

The White House said that he is still in the job and there are no personnel announcements at this time

The White House has responded to the speculations surrounding replacing of Secretary of state, Rex Tillerson on Thursday. The White House said that he is still in the job and there are no personnel announcements at this time. "Secretary Tillerson continues to lead the State Department and the entire cabinet is focused on completing this incredibly successful first year of President Trump's administration," AFP reported press secretary Sarah Sanders as saying. The dismissal by White House came after several media reports were doing rounds that plans are being drawn up to replace him with CIA chief Mike Pompeo. Also read: White House has plan to replace Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with CIA chief: US official US President Donald Trump and Rex Tillerson also had policy differences. I told Rex Tillerson, our wonderful Secretary of State, that he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 1, 2017 × Also read: Who's the moron? Trump challenges Tillerson to IQ test

White House dismisses reports of Tillerson replacement

President Donald Trump said today US TV network CBS had &quot;made up a story&quot; that he wanted a ten-fold increase in nuclear arsenal.

The President took to Twitter to say: &quot;With all of the fake news coming out of NBC and the networks, at what point is it appropriate to challenge their license.&quot;

&quot;Bad for country!,&quot; the President said&nbsp;on Twitter.

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With all of the Fake News coming out of NBC and the Networks, at what point is it appropriate to challenge their License? Bad for country!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/918112884630093825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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US broadcaster NBC has been at the centre of controversy after it reported that vice president Mike Pence had to talk Tillerson out of resigning and that foreign secretary Tillerson had called Trump a &quot;moron.&quot;&nbsp;

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Fake <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBCNews</a> made up a story that I wanted a &quot;tenfold&quot; increase in our U.S. nuclear arsenal. Pure fiction, made up to demean. NBC = CNN!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/918110279367643137?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Trump was quick to dismiss Tillerson&#39;s reported &quot;moron&quot; comment as &quot;fake news&quot;.

The president added, &quot;I think it&#39;s fake news. But if he did that, I guess we&#39;ll have to compare IQ tests. And I can tell you who is going to win.&quot;

On NFL, the president in an early morning tweet said: &quot;It is about time that Roger Goodell of the NFL is finally demanding that all players STAND for our great National Anthem.&quot;

However, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told CNN he didn&#39;t demand or order players to stand during the national anthem.

The NFL issued a statement after Trump&#39;s tweet saying: &quot;Commentary this morning about the Commissioner&#39;s position on the anthem is not accurate.&quot;

&quot;As we said yesterday, there will be a discussion of these issues at the owners meeting next week. The NFL is doing the hard work of trying to move from protest to progress, working to bring people together....Players from around the league will be in New York next week to meet with owners to continue our work together,&quot; the statement said.&nbsp;

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It is about time that Roger Goodell of the NFL is finally demanding that all players STAND for our great National Anthem-RESPECT OUR COUNTRY
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/918065431939829760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

US broadcaster NBC has been at the centre of controversy after it reported that vice president Mike Pence had to talk Tillerson out of resigning.

President Donald Trump said today US TV network CBS had "made up a story" that he wanted a ten-fold increase in nuclear arsenal. The President took to Twitter to say: "With all of the fake news coming out of NBC and the networks, at what point is it appropriate to challenge their license." "Bad for country!," the President said on Twitter. With all of the Fake News coming out of NBC and the Networks, at what point is it appropriate to challenge their License? Bad for country! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 11, 2017 × US broadcaster NBC has been at the centre of controversy after it reported that vice president Mike Pence had to talk Tillerson out of resigning and that foreign secretary Tillerson had called Trump a "moron." Fake @NBCNews made up a story that I wanted a "tenfold" increase in our U.S. nuclear arsenal. Pure fiction, made up to demean. NBC = CNN! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 11, 2017 × Trump was quick to dismiss Tillerson's reported "moron" comment as "fake news". The president added, "I think it's fake news. But if he did that, I guess we'll have to compare IQ tests. And I can tell you who is going to win." On NFL, the president in an early morning tweet said: "It is about time that Roger Goodell of the NFL is finally demanding that all players STAND for our great National Anthem." However, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told CNN he didn't demand or order players to stand during the national anthem. The NFL issued a statement after Trump's tweet saying: "Commentary this morning about the Commissioner's position on the anthem is not accurate." "As we said yesterday, there will be a discussion of these issues at the owners meeting next week. The NFL is doing the hard work of trying to move from protest to progress, working to bring people together....Players from around the league will be in New York next week to meet with owners to continue our work together," the statement said. It is about time that Roger Goodell of the NFL is finally demanding that all players STAND for our great National Anthem-RESPECT OUR COUNTRY — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 11, 2017 ×

Fake news that I wanted 'ten-fold' increase in nuclear arsenal: Trump

Donald Trump&#39;s feud with top diplomat Rex Tillerson burst back into the open Tuesday, after the US president joked that he and his Secretary of State should compare IQ scores.

Having loudly dismissed reports that Tillerson had once called him a &quot;moron,&quot; Trump refused to let the controversy go, renewing questions about Tillerson&#39;s future.

In an interview with Forbes magazine, Trump was asked about last week&#39;s report that Tillerson had insulted him behind his back -- a story that both had already denied.

&quot;I think it&#39;s fake news,&quot; Trump said, before allowing: &quot;But if he did that, I guess we&#39;ll have to compare IQ tests. And I can tell you who is going to win.&quot;

The interview was published hours before the two men met in the White House for talks on Iran, Turkey and North Korea and then lunch with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.

Ahead of the sit-down, Trump had insisted he still had confidence in the secretary of state, saying: &quot;I did not undercut anybody. I don&#39;t believe in undercutting people.&quot;

But White House insiders say that Tillerson&#39;s refusal to personally deny an NBC News report that he labelled Trump a &quot;moron&quot; after a July meeting had only deepened the rift.

President &#39;allowed to joke&#39; 
After the meetings, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders insisted there was no rift between the men -- and that Trump does not think Tillerson stupid.

&quot;The President certainly never implied that the secretary of state was not incredibly intelligent. He made a joke, nothing more than that,&quot; Sanders insisted.&nbsp;

&quot;He has full confidence in the secretary of state. They had a great visit earlier today. And they are working hand in hand to move the president&#39;s agenda forward.&quot;

Over at the State Department, spokeswoman Heather Nauert declared when asked that Tillerson&#39;s IQ was &quot;high&quot; but insisted that the top diplomat he had not been offended.

&quot;Speaking with some of our folks who were over there with the president, with the secretary and the president. The meetings were described as positive,&quot; Nauert said.

&quot;I think the president is allowed to joke. He&#39;s allowed to have a sense of humor &hellip; the secretary is more than fine with that,&quot; she said of Trump&#39;s remarks about IQ.

Since the alleged insult was reported, White House chief of staff John Kelly has been struggling to keep a lid on the crisis, and on renewed rumors of Tillerson&#39;s departure.

But that effort that has been consistently thwarted by Trump&#39;s tweets and barbed remarks.

Last week, before the report of the insult was published, Trump took to Twitter to accuse the former ExxonMobil CEO of &quot;wasting his time&quot; trying to negotiate with North Korea.

The rebuke revived rumors that Tillerson is unhappy at his post, but he insists he has no intention of resigning.

Crucial time 
In Washington, Tillerson, along with Mattis, Kelly and chairman of the joint chiefs Joseph Dunford are increasingly seen as a buffer against Trump&#39;s impulses.&nbsp;

Kelly has worked to control the flow of information across Trump&#39;s desk and imposed a decision-making structure that was absent in the early days of the administration.

But for many in Washington, even former supporters from the president&#39;s own party, he has not yet been successful.

&quot;The White House has become an adult day care center,&quot; Senator Bob Corker declared at the weekend, an astonishing public rebuke from a Republican who campaigned for Trump and chairs the Senate foreign relations committee.

Tillerson&#39;s departure would be a major blow to those hoping to temper Trump and prevent the slide towards what Corker described as &quot;the path to World War III.&quot;

And it could not come at a more sensitive time diplomatically.&nbsp;

Trump is poised to confront Iran by questioning a major nuclear deal later this week and appears set on stepping up his threats against nuclear-armed North Korea.&nbsp;

Tillerson will also play a major role in preparing Trump&#39;s monster trip to Asia next month, that will take in Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines.

US secretary of state Rex Tillerson had reportedly once called Trump a 'moron'

Donald Trump's feud with top diplomat Rex Tillerson burst back into the open Tuesday, after the US president joked that he and his Secretary of State should compare IQ scores. Having loudly dismissed reports that Tillerson had once called him a "moron," Trump refused to let the controversy go, renewing questions about Tillerson's future. In an interview with Forbes magazine, Trump was asked about last week's report that Tillerson had insulted him behind his back -- a story that both had already denied. "I think it's fake news," Trump said, before allowing: "But if he did that, I guess we'll have to compare IQ tests. And I can tell you who is going to win." The interview was published hours before the two men met in the White House for talks on Iran, Turkey and North Korea and then lunch with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. Ahead of the sit-down, Trump had insisted he still had confidence in the secretary of state, saying: "I did not undercut anybody. I don't believe in undercutting people." But White House insiders say that Tillerson's refusal to personally deny an NBC News report that he labelled Trump a "moron" after a July meeting had only deepened the rift. President 'allowed to joke' After the meetings, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders insisted there was no rift between the men -- and that Trump does not think Tillerson stupid. "The President certainly never implied that the secretary of state was not incredibly intelligent. He made a joke, nothing more than that," Sanders insisted. "He has full confidence in the secretary of state. They had a great visit earlier today. And they are working hand in hand to move the president's agenda forward." Over at the State Department, spokeswoman Heather Nauert declared when asked that Tillerson's IQ was "high" but insisted that the top diplomat he had not been offended. "Speaking with some of our folks who were over there with the president, with the secretary and the president. The meetings were described as positive," Nauert said. "I think the president is allowed to joke. He's allowed to have a sense of humor … the secretary is more than fine with that," she said of Trump's remarks about IQ. Since the alleged insult was reported, White House chief of staff John Kelly has been struggling to keep a lid on the crisis, and on renewed rumors of Tillerson's departure. But that effort that has been consistently thwarted by Trump's tweets and barbed remarks. Last week, before the report of the insult was published, Trump took to Twitter to accuse the former ExxonMobil CEO of "wasting his time" trying to negotiate with North Korea. The rebuke revived rumors that Tillerson is unhappy at his post, but he insists he has no intention of resigning. Crucial time In Washington, Tillerson, along with Mattis, Kelly and chairman of the joint chiefs Joseph Dunford are increasingly seen as a buffer against Trump's impulses. Kelly has worked to control the flow of information across Trump's desk and imposed a decision-making structure that was absent in the early days of the administration. But for many in Washington, even former supporters from the president's own party, he has not yet been successful. "The White House has become an adult day care center," Senator Bob Corker declared at the weekend, an astonishing public rebuke from a Republican who campaigned for Trump and chairs the Senate foreign relations committee. Tillerson's departure would be a major blow to those hoping to temper Trump and prevent the slide towards what Corker described as "the path to World War III." And it could not come at a more sensitive time diplomatically. Trump is poised to confront Iran by questioning a major nuclear deal later this week and appears set on stepping up his threats against nuclear-armed North Korea. Tillerson will also play a major role in preparing Trump's monster trip to Asia next month, that will take in Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Who's the moron? Trump challenges Tillerson to IQ test

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