Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has taken a vacation that was not announced ahead of time, adding to speculation that he is considering resigning his position over growing frustrations with the way the White House operates, Vice News has reported.
However, secretary of state spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters Tillerson is merely taking some personal time to be at this home in Texas after a grueling diplomatic trip overseas, and that there is nothing more to it than that.
Nauert flatly denied the secretary is thinking about quitting, saying Tillerson recognizes that "we have a lot of work that is left to be done ahead of us… He's deeply engaged in that work," The Hill reported.
Recent reports have indicated Tillerson has doubts the infighting with the White House will calm down anytime soon. CNN said that there has been a mounting number of incidents in recent times frustrating Tillerson, capped by the president's ongoing sharp and public criticism of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, which the secretary of state reportedly considers as unprofessional.
To make matters worse, Tillerson was reportedly never that keen on taking the position from the beginning, as he had been planning for retirement at the time Trump offered him the job.
There have been signs that Tillerson's heart is not entirely into the job, according to Vice News, including cutting short a trip to South Korea in March due to "fatigue," skipping an annual press conference on the State Department's human rights report, and isolating himself from dealing with anyone except for two trusted aides, who shield him from others.
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