5 Oct 2017

US Secretary of State vague on calling Trump 'moron'

From Morning Report, 7:16 am on 5 October 2017

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's future is in doubt after news reports he'd referred to President Donald Trump as a moron. An NBC report also said Mr Tillerson had planned to quit the job in July.

Mr Tillerson held a news conference to deny the reports, but when asked directly if he'd called Mr Trump a moron, Mr Tillerson did not use the word "no".

US correspondent Simon Marks tells us at the press conference Mr Tillerson did not look enthusiastic, and "the sense here is his days are very much numbered".