Donald Trump’s spokeswoman, Sarah Sanders, had avoided any blame of Russia for the poisoning of an ex-spy in Britain, but minutes later Tillerson issued his own statement, which was definitive in supporting the UK assessment that Moscow was behind the attack.
It was the sort of statement of unquestioning support for an ally that would be expected in more normal times, and that was the problem. Trump had said privately but repeatedly that he found Tillerson too “traditional”.
Most longstanding observers had expected there could be a tweeted rebuke from Trump on Tuesday morning, as there had been several times in the past when Tillerson had strayed from the White House line.
But the dismissal came as a shock nevertheless, at least to state department officials who had accompanied Tillerson on his final foreign tour, to Africa.
The exit was brutal. Trump phoned Tillerson from Air Force One soon after midday, more than three hours after the tweeted announcement of his firing.
Tillerson managed only to secure agreement for him to stay on formally until the end of March to oversee a transition.
Source: theguardian
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