WASHINGTON- Outgoing US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson did not speak toPresident Donald Trump before he was sacked Tuesday and has not been givena reason for his ouster, a top aide said.
“The secretary did not speak to the president this morning and is unawareof the reason, but he is grateful for the opportunity to serve, and stillbelieves strongly that public service is a noble calling and not to beregretted,” Undersecretary of State Steve Goldstein said.[image: an image]
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he had replaced U.S. Secretaryof State Rex Tillerson with Central Intelligence Agency Director MikePompeo, and had tapped Gina Haspel to…link>
Tillerson arrived back in Washington before dawn on Tuesday after a tour ofAfrican countries and a few hours later Trump announced abruptly on Twitterthat he was to be replaced by CIA director Mike Pompeo.
“We wish Secretary-Designate Pompeo well,” Goldstein — who isundersecretary of state for public affairs and public diplomacy — said, ina series of tweets from his official account.
“The secretary had every intention of remaining because of the tangibleprogress made on critical national security issues. He established andenjoyed relationships with his counterparts,” he said.
“The secretary will miss his colleagues at the Department of State andenjoyed working together with the Department of Defense in an uncommonlyrobust relationship,” he added, in a nod to Tillerson´s close workingrelationship with Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis. APP/AFP