Trump Reportedly Considers Replacing Secretary Of State Tillerson : NPR
Rex Tillerson
President Trump brushed aside reports that  he is considering replacing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson   though multiple news outlets say  Tillerson  could be shown the door within weeks.
Pressed about those reports Thursday morning during an Oval Office meeting  Trump said only: "He's here.  Rex  is here."
At the State Department briefing in the afternoon  spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Tillerson "remains the secretary of state and as long as he is serving at the pleasure of the president he ... will continue to do that job." She noted that  Tillerson  visited the White House twice on Thursday. But when asked whether  Tillerson  discussed the reports with the president  Nauert said  "Not to my knowledge."
The New York Times and other outlets are reporting that  Tillerson  could be replaced by CIA Director Mike Pompeo. In turn  Sen. Tom Cotton  R-Ark.  is reportedly a top contender to take Pompeo's place running the spy agency.
 Tillerson  â a former CEO of Exxon Mobil â has had a rocky tenure at the State Department.  He  came into the position with no government or diplomatic experience and has frequently found  himself  at odds with the president on issues such as the value of the Iran nuclear deal and the standoff between Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
In early October  reports surfaced that  Tillerson  had called the president a "moron." He pointedly did not dispute those accounts.
 Tillerson  was thought to have an ally in White House chief of staff John Kelly. But according to reports  which NPR has not independently confirmed  Kelly crafted the plan to replace the secretary. Pompeo has risen in the president's estimation during frequent White House intelligence briefings. And Cotton's views are closely aligned with Trump's on Iran and immigration.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders echoed the president's comment that  Tillerson  has not been replaced.
Sen. Bob Corker  R-Tenn.  who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee  defended  Tillerson . He said he'd spoken by phone with the secretary on Thursday  and that  Tillerson  is carrying on business as usual.
He acknowledged  Tillerson  has been a frequent target of negative rumors.
President Trump brushed aside reports that  he is considering replacing Secretary of State  [TGT]    though multiple news outlets say  Tillerson  could be shown the door within weeks.
Pressed about those reports Thursday morning during an Oval Office meeting  Trump said only: "He's here.  Rex  is here."
At the State Department briefing in the afternoon  spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Tillerson "remains the secretary of state and as long as he is serving at the pleasure of the president he ... will continue to do that job." She noted that  Tillerson  visited the White House twice on Thursday. But when asked whether  Tillerson  discussed the reports with the president  Nauert said  "Not to my knowledge."
The New York Times and other outlets are reporting that  Tillerson  could be replaced by CIA Director Mike Pompeo. In turn  Sen. Tom Cotton  R-Ark.  is reportedly a top contender to take Pompeo's place running the spy agency.
 Tillerson  â a former CEO of Exxon Mobil â has had a rocky tenure at the State Department.  He  came into the position with no government or diplomatic experience and has frequently found  himself  at odds with the president on issues such as the value of the Iran nuclear deal and the standoff between Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
In early October  reports surfaced that  Tillerson  had called the president a "moron." He pointedly did not dispute those accounts.
 Tillerson  was thought to have an ally in White House chief of staff John Kelly. But according to reports  which NPR has not independently confirmed  Kelly crafted the plan to replace the secretary. Pompeo has risen in the president's estimation during frequent White House intelligence briefings. And Cotton's views are closely aligned with Trump's on Iran and immigration.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders echoed the president's comment that  Tillerson  has not been replaced.
Sen. Bob Corker  R-Tenn.  who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee  defended  Tillerson . He said he'd spoken by phone with the secretary on Thursday  and that  Tillerson  is carrying on business as usual.
He acknowledged  Tillerson  has been a frequent target of negative rumors.