Trump contradicts Tillerson on North Korea, the latest in a series of put-downs from The Washington Post

Trump contradicts Tillerson on North Korea, the latest in a series of put-downs

President Trump, not for the first time, publicly contradicted his chief diplomat on a major foreign policy issue Sunday, saying via Twitter that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was “wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man.”

Using his nickname for North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, and apparently warning again of a U.S. military response to its escalating nuclear threat, Trump advised, “Save your energy, Rex, we’ll do what has to be done.”

The tweets came the day after Tillerson, on a visit to Beijing, told reporters the administration had direct lines of communication with North Korea and was probing for a response. “We ask, ‘Would you like to talk?’” he said. “We can talk to them, we do talk to them.” 

The latest display of dissension follows earlier presidential put-downs and efforts by Tillerson and other national security officials to smooth Trump’s rough edges on issues as diverse as U.S. policy toward NATO, Mexico and the Persian Gulf.

All have sparked questions about Tillerson’s longevity in office, with repeated speculation that he is fed up, or that Trump wants him gone.

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