NBC: Trump ‘furious’ after report on Tillerson

President Trump was reportedly “furious” this week after NBC News reported that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had considered resigning earlier this year and had once called the president a “moron,” the network said Thursday.

NBC News, citing multiple senior administration officials, reported that Trump “fumed” inside the White House to his chief of staff John Kelly and others for two hours after the initial report was published.

Trump and members of the administration have publicly denied any tension between the two. 

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NBC reported on Wednesday morning that Tillerson had made the remark about Trump at a meeting of national security officials at the Pentagon over the summer.

Tillerson called a hastily scheduled press conference to address the report Wednesday morning, though he did not deny that he used the word to describe the president. A State Department spokeswoman later denied that Tillerson had used the language.

NBC reported Thursday that its initial report was the first time Trump had heard the disparaging comments from Tillerson at the July 20 national security meeting.

Officials told NBC that Vice President Pence was also frustrated with Tillerson after the reports and held phone a conversation with him that led to Tillerson holding the press conference. 

Kelly reportedly backed out at the last minute of attending a trip to Las Vegas, where he was set to appear alongside the president in consoling victims from the mass shooting there Sunday, to handle the incident.

While in Las Vegas, Trump denied that there was any animosity between himself and Tillerson and attacked the reports on Tillerson’s comments as “fake news.”   

Kelly then called a meeting in the White House with Tillerson and  Defense Secretary James Mattis to discuss how to proceed, three officials said. 

Trump sidestepped the conflicts on Twitter, where he said that both Tillerson and Pence had “totally refuted” the story. The @NBCNews story has just been totally refuted by Sec. Tillerson and @VP Pence. It is #FakeNews. They should issue an apology to AMERICA!”

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

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 4, 2017 

The president also refuted reports that Tillerson had been ready to resign in July after clashing with Trump. 

Rex Tillerson never threatened to resign. This is Fake News put out by @NBCNews. Low news and reporting standards. No verification from me.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 5, 2017