Update Dec. 1, 2017 3:20 p.m. EST: President Donald Trump on Friday denied that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson would be removed from his post and replaced by CIA director Mike Pompeo in the coming weeks, writing on Twitter that reports that said otherwise were "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!” Trump wrote on Twitter.
Reports surfaced Thursday that a White House plan would see Tillerson ousted “within the next several weeks.” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters that there were no personnel announcements Thursday and that Tillerson "continues to lead the State Department."
Original report: The White House has created a plan to force out Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and replace him with CIA director Mike Pompeo, The New York Times reported Thursday, citing unnamed senior administration officials.
The newspaper reported that it was not immediately clear if the plan, which could see Tillerson ousted “within the next several weeks,” had been approved by President Donald Trump.