Trump calls reports of Tillerson’s ouster ‘fake news’

President Trump on Friday forcefully denied reports he’s preparing to push out Rex Tillerson as secretary of State, saying “he’s not leaving.”

“The media has been speculating that I fired Rex Tillerson or that he would be leaving soon – FAKE NEWS! He’s not leaving and while we disagree on certain subjects, (I call the final shots) we work well together and America is highly respected again!” he tweeted.

Trump’s tweet comes a day after multiple reports that Tillerson, who has frequently clashed with Trump as secretary of State, would soon be pushed out. 

Under the reported plan, Tillerson would be pushed out and replaced with CIA Director Mike Pompeo. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) would reportedly replace Pompeo at the CIA under the plan, which was reportedly created by White House chief of staff John Kelly.

Tillerson and Trump have frequently been at odds, with Tillerson reportedly saying after one exchange that Trump was a “moron.” After Tillerson’s remark was reported, the feud became even more pronounced, with Trump challenging Tillerson to an IQ test.

Tillerson has also been under fire for his leadership of the department, which has suffered from low morale, organizational confusion and unfilled appointments under Tillerson.