Donald Trump Claims He Is Smarter Than Rex Tillerson

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, stated in an interview published on Tuesday, October 10, that he is smarter than Rex Tillerson, the Secretary of State, and suggested that if Tillerson indeed referred to him as 'dumb,' they should have an 'intelligence contest.' Trump further added in his interview with Forbes magazine, 'I can tell you who would win.' The Associated Press reports that tensions in the relationship between Donald Trump and Rex Tillerson were revealed last week. NBC News claimed that Mike Pence, the Vice President of the United States, had to convince Tillerson not to resign from his position this summer, and during that meeting, Tillerson referred to Trump as 'dumb.' In response to the report, Tillerson stated that he had never considered resigning but did not directly address the use of the 'offensive' term. Later, his spokesperson clarified that Tillerson never used such language. Trump and Tillerson are scheduled to have lunch at the White House on Tuesday along with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. Trump has previously questioned Tillerson's decisions on sensitive foreign policy issues such as the North Korea crisis and relations with Iran. Conversely, Tillerson has expressed frustration with the White House for hindering his decision-making on important appointments. Nevertheless, Trump stated last week in a press conference that he has complete trust in the Secretary of State. In the Forbes interview conducted on Friday, Trump responded to criticisms regarding questioning Tillerson's decisions in tweets, saying, 'I am not questioning him. I think I am actually reinforcing his authority.' Regarding reports that Tillerson called him 'dumb,' Trump remarked, 'I think that’s fake news. But if he did say that, I guess we should have an intelligence contest. And I can tell you who would win.' The Associated Press noted that Trump tweeted a series of messages on various topics on Tuesday morning. In one of the messages, he stated that working with Democrats in Congress to pass immigration-related regulations is difficult because 'Democrats do not want secure borders and do not care about America's safety.' Two days ago, Trump sent his framework of proposals for immigration legislation to congressional leaders, which includes significant improvements to border security and major changes to the green card process. In addition to immigration, Trump emphasized that he will soon take action regarding public insurance. He wrote, 'Using the power of the pen, I will provide medical coverage to many people, and this will be very quick.' The White House is preparing the text of an executive order that will allow people to purchase different services from various insurance institutions across different states. Trump also indicated that the government will change the country's tax laws to punish institutions and companies, such as the national football league, that have disrespected the flag or national anthem.