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Tillerson on Report He Called Trump 'Moron': 'Not Going to Deal with Petty Stuff' to 'Divide'
PJ Media ^ | 10/03/2017 | Bridget Johnson

Posted on 10/04/2017 10:28:44 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

WASHINGTON -- Secretary of State Rex Tillerson would not directly state whether or not he called President Trump a "moron," as alleged in an NBC News report, but said at a morning press conference that his "commitment to the success of our president and our country is as strong as it was the day I accepted his offer to serve."

According to the report, tensions between Trump and Tillerson peaked over the summer after Trump gave a politically charged speech at the Boy Scout Jamboree in July. Tillerson once led the Boy Scouts of America, and reportedly threatened not to return to his post in Washington before other cabinet officials -- John Kelly and James Mattis -- convinced him to stay. Vice President Mike Pence reportedly gave Tillerson a "pep talk" afterward that included encouragement on toeing Trump's policy line.

The report said Trump and Tillerson have battled on issues such as Iran, North Korea, Qatar and the white supremacist violence in Charlottesville; Trump has also wanted Tillerson to publicly defend him more. Tillerson allegedly called Trump a "moron" in a July 20 Pentagon meeting in response to the president suggesting that he would can the commander in Afghanistan and comparing troop-level decisions to a 1980s N.Y. restaurant renovation.

Tillerson emerged at the State Department for an unscheduled statement after the story broke, saying he wanted to "dispel this notion that I have ever considered leaving."

"There's never been a consideration in my mind to leave. I serve at the appointment of the president and I am here for as long as the president feels I can be useful to achieving his objectives," he said.

Asked if he called Trump a moron, Tillerson replied, "I'm not going to deal with petty stuff like that."

"I mean, this is -- this is what I don't understand about Washington. Again, I'm not from this place, but the places I come from we don't deal with that kind of petty nonsense. And it is intended to do nothing but divide people. And I'm just not going to be part of this effort to divide this administration," he added.

Tillerson said he had not spoken yet today with Trump, who was on his way to Las Vegas.

Trump went after NBC on Twitter: "NBC news is #FakeNews and more dishonest than even CNN. They are a disgrace to good reporting. No wonder their news ratings are way down!"

"The @NBCNews story has just been totally refuted by Sec. Tillerson and @VP Pence. It is #FakeNews. They should issue an apology to AMERICA!" he added.

Asked en route to Nevada if Trump has confidence in Tillerson, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders replied, "As we've said many times before, if the president doesn't have confidence in somebody, they will no longer be in their position."


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: moron; rextillerson; tillerson
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To: colorado tanker; Flick Lives
He then does the same to the guy to his left and steps back to watch the fight.

A trope credited to Wimpy


21 posted on 10/04/2017 11:22:17 AM PDT by Dr. Sivana (There is no salvation in politics.)
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To: colorado tanker; Flick Lives
He then does the same to the guy to his left and steps back to watch the fight.

A trope credited to Wimpy


22 posted on 10/04/2017 11:33:05 AM PDT by Dr. Sivana (There is no salvation in politics.)
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To: SeekAndFind

His answer sounds like he probably said it. And he hasn’t cleaned out state. And he let the homos tale over the boy scouts.

No loyalty to this dude for me. Sorry.


23 posted on 10/04/2017 11:35:21 AM PDT by DesertRhino (Dog is man's best friend, and moslems hate dogs. Add that up.)
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To: Kevin C

“Curious...”

Only if you’re a fan of the type of “news” that TMZ reports.


24 posted on 10/04/2017 11:36:46 AM PDT by jonno (Having an opinion is not the same as having the answer...)
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To: SeekAndFind

Usual and customary Fake News and Bullshit from the Nothing But Crap network. Pitiful morons.


25 posted on 10/04/2017 11:37:33 AM PDT by GoldenPup
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To: SeekAndFind

Proper answer: “I don’t use the word, moron, to describe people even when the person really is a moron like my predecessors, John Kerry and Hillary Clinton.”


26 posted on 10/04/2017 12:03:55 PM PDT by CommerceComet (Hillary: A unique blend of arrogance, incompetence, and corruption.)
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To: SeekAndFind

If Tilly Boy doesn’t have the State Dept. stop stone-walling on denying visas to turd world countries that won’t take their criminals back, fire his weeping a$$.


27 posted on 10/04/2017 12:29:30 PM PDT by tumblindice (America's founding fathers: all armed conservatives)
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To: SeekAndFind

Solution: John Bolton SecState, Andrew McCarthy AG


28 posted on 10/04/2017 1:07:17 PM PDT by A strike (Academia is almost as racist as Madison Ave.)
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To: SeekAndFind

IOW, he did.


29 posted on 10/04/2017 1:07:34 PM PDT by onedoug
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To: Dr. Sivana

I had no idea “let’s you and him fight” comes from the old Popeye cartoon.


30 posted on 10/04/2017 1:46:25 PM PDT by Flick Lives
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To: robroys woman; Genoa

Refusing to respond sends a powerful message that it might be true and that’s what gives the story “legs”. He should deny it.


31 posted on 10/05/2017 2:10:56 AM PDT by Impy (The democrat party is the enemy of your family and civilization itself, forget that at your peril.)
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To: Impy

Yes, it sends that message. And even if he denies it, the same message is perceived by those who want it to be true. I heard that on the radio this morning. i.e. his department DID deny it, but the reporter reported it as a “he said, she said” rather than fake news.

I liked his own response, saying this is to petty to respond to. Someone needs to get that meme out there. There are MUCH more serious stuff to deal with and they simply need to stop even wasting time asking such stupid questions. The only way they stop is if the questions are called out as stupid and get no answer. Repeatedly.


32 posted on 10/05/2017 4:29:04 AM PDT by robroys woman (So you're not confused, I'm male.)
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To: robroys woman

Tillerson won’t deny it, and the probable reason is that he did call Trump a moron. He doesn’t want to lie because it will come out, and he will still need a good reputation after his stint at State is over.


33 posted on 10/05/2017 6:58:55 AM PDT by Genoa (Luke 12:2)
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To: Genoa

Could be. But the best response by him at this point is, “You people still talking about that? Scuse me while I go work with some ADULTS.”


34 posted on 10/05/2017 7:06:34 AM PDT by robroys woman (So you're not confused, I'm male.)
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