U.S. Secretary of State: I Have Never Considered Resigning

On Wednesday, October 4th, Rex Tillerson, the U.S. Secretary of State, stated that he has never thought about resigning and is as loyal to Donald Trump's policies today as he was when he accepted the position. According to Reuters, Tillerson said in an interview at the State Department, "I have never thought about leaving this position; I will remain in this position as long as the President feels that I am useful in advancing his goals." He added, "My commitment to the success of the President and the country is as strong as it was on the first day I accepted the role of Secretary of State." These statements come after NBC News reported that during the summer, amid rising tensions between Donald Trump and the Secretary of State, Mike Pence and other senior officials tried to persuade Tillerson not to resign. A few days ago, Trump questioned Tillerson's diplomatic efforts to negotiate with North Korea regarding its nuclear and missile programs by stating that negotiating with the North Korean government is, in his view, "a waste of time." There have been many rumors about Tillerson's dissatisfaction with Trump's policies, but on Wednesday, the Secretary of State firmly defended the President's policies and foreign policy goals. Tillerson stated, "The foreign policy goals of Donald Trump are different from the conventional methods that people think our country can achieve. We are seeking new governance methods that will lead to new victories." Reuters adds that shortly before Tillerson's interview, Trump tweeted, "NBC's story is fake news and even more dishonest than CNN. They have destroyed the reputation of good reporting. No wonder their ratings are so low."