After The New York Times article we cited earlier, which reported Rex Tillerson was on the skids as SecState, there have been further developments. President Trump has essentially denied the accuracy of that article, labeling it with his favored term "Fake News."
Lead author Peter Baker, while liberal as most of his NYT colleagues, is no rumor-monger. He believed he had good reason to write what he wrote, had at least two independent sources at a guess. So let's explore what may have gone wrong.
It is very clear the President and the SecState have held different views from time to time, no question about that. Trump underlings in the White House may have planned a SecState succession assuming quite reasonably the boss found these differences more irritating than he actually does.
Alternatively, the whole thing may have been planting a leak as a way to send Tillerson a message to shape up and get "on message" or resign. If Rex told POTUS "message received," maybe he really is in no immediate jeopardy. In that case Baker was used, and is probably furious with his "sources."
Or it may be that the notoriously touchy Trump truly was planning to dump Tillerson. Hating having his surprise leaked, he changed his mind just to muddy the waters and destroy the leakers' reputations as WH sources.
Tillerson had better hope this last wasn't the case. Trump can change his mind about personnel matters rather quickly; ask Gen. Flynn whose tenure as National Security Advisor lasted just 25 days!
Unlike government, business moves quickly to solve personnel problems. At NBC Matt Lauer went from $30 million man to unperson in less than a week. Trump does it “business style” when he can.
