Differences over how to deal with North Korea’s nuclear challenge were a key factor in President Donald Trump’s decision to replace Rex Tillerson as U. S. secretary of state, according to sources familiar with the internal deliberations.
WASHINGTON: Differences over how to deal with North Korea’s nuclear challenge were a key factor in President Donald Trump’s decision to replace Rex Tillerson as U. S. secretary of state, according to sources familiar with the internal deliberations.
Tillerson had been an early advocate of talks with North Korea to the annoyance of Trump, who wanted to keep applying maximum pressure on Pyongyang before responding to an invitation to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the sources said.
That had led to fear that Tillerson might be too willing to make concessions to North Korea, the sources said.
„He’s got to have somebody in there that he totally trusts,” said a senior U. S. official.
In recent weeks Trump spent time putting in place a succession plan, lining up Central Intelligence Agency Director Mike Pompeo to take over at the State Department and CIA deputy director Gina Haspel to replace Pompeo as the head of the spy agency, the source said.
A key aim was to get the team in place prior to moving ahead with North Korea.
Trump and Kim have committed to meeting at a time and place to be determined before the end of May to discuss North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
