Transcript - Press Gaggle: Donald Trump Announces Firing of Rex Tillerson - March 13, 2018 | Factba.se

Question

00:00:00 - 00:00:08 (8 sec)

Mr. President, why did you decide...

Donald Trump

00:00:08 - 00:00:28 (20 sec)

I've worked with Mike Pompeo now for quite some time. Tremendous energy, tremendous intellect. W're always on the same wavelength. The relationship has been very good and that's what I need as Secretary of State. I wish Rex Tillerson well.

Donald Trump

00:00:28 - 00:00:52 (24 sec)

Gina, by the way, who I know very well, who I've worked very closely -- will be the first woman director of the CIA. She's an outstanding person, who also I have gotten to know very well. So I've gotten to know a lot of people very well over the last year, and I'm really at a point where we're getting very close to having the cabinet and other things that I want.

Donald Trump

00:00:52 - 00:01:09 (17 sec)

But I think Mike Pompeo will be a truly great Secretary of State. I have total confidence in him. And as far as Rex Tillerson is concerned, I very much appreciate his commitment and his service and I wish him well. He's a good man.

Question

00:01:09 - 00:01:12 (4 sec)

Mr. President, what did you say to Rex Tillerson?

Donald Trump

00:01:12 - 00:01:33 (21 sec)

Rex and I have been talking about this for a long time. We got along, actually, quite well. But we disagreed on things. When you look at the Iran deal; I think it's terrible, I guess he thought it was OK. I wanted to either break it or do something and he felt a little bit differently.

Donald Trump

00:01:33 - 00:01:52 (20 sec)

So we were not really thinking the same. With Mike, Mike Pompeo, we have a very similar thought process. I think it's going to go very well. Rex is a very good man. I like Rex a lot. I really appreciate his commitment to service and I'll be speaking to Rex over a long period of time.

Question

00:01:52 - 00:01:54 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

00:01:54 - 00:01:57 (3 sec)

I can't hear you.

Question

00:01:57 - 00:02:01 (5 sec)

[Inaudible, about North Korea]

Donald Trump

00:02:01 - 00:02:18 (17 sec)

No, I really didn't discuss it very much with him, honestly. I made that decision by myself. Rex wasn't, as you know, in this country. I made the North Korea decision with consultation from many people but I made that decision by myself.

Question

00:02:18 - 00:02:21 (3 sec)

[Inaudible, about relationship between Trump and Tillerson]

Donald Trump

00:02:21 - 00:02:27 (6 sec)

I actually got along well with Rex but really it was a different mindset. It was a different thinking.

Question

00:02:27 - 00:02:29 (2 sec)

Did you fire him because he called you a moron?

Donald Trump

00:02:29 - 00:02:29 (1 sec)

Question

00:02:29 - 00:02:33 (4 sec)

Did you fire him because he called you a moron?""

Donald Trump

00:02:33 - 00:02:36 (2 sec)

Question

00:02:36 - 00:02:39 (3 sec)

Donald Trump

00:02:39 - 00:03:00 (21 sec)

I respect his intellect. I respect the process that we've all gone through together. We have a very good relationship for whatever reason, chemistry, whatever it is –- why do people get along? I've always, right from the beginning, from day one, I've gotten along well with Mike Pompeo, and frankly I get along well with Rex too.

Donald Trump

00:03:00 - 00:03:13 (13 sec)

I wish Rex a lot of good things. I think he's going to be very happy. I think Rex will be much happier now but I really appreciate his service but with Mike we've had a very good chemistry right from the beginning.

Question

00:03:13 - 00:03:21 (8 sec)

[Inaudible, about attack on Sergei and Yulia Skripal in the United Kingdom]

Donald Trump

00:03:21 - 00:03:32 (11 sec)

Well, it sounds to me –- I'm speaking to Theresa May today –- it sounds to me like it would be Russia, based on all of the evidence they have. I don't know if they've come to a conclusion, but she's calling me today.

Donald Trump

00:03:32 - 00:03:40 (8 sec)

As you know, now we're going to the wall, we're going out to the wall, we're going to be looking at the prototypes, which is very important for our country.

Donald Trump

00:03:40 - 00:03:49 (9 sec)

But Theresa May is going to be speaking to me today. It sounds to me like they believe it was Russia and I would certainly take that finding as fact.

Question

00:03:49 - 00:03:54 (5 sec)

Do you believe there will be a response from the United States?

Donald Trump

00:03:54 - 00:04:14 (19 sec)

Yeah, as soon as we get the facts straight, and we're going to be speaking with the British today. We're speaking with Theresa May today and, as soon as we get the facts straight, if we agree with them, we will condemn Russia or whoever it may be. But I have not spoken to her. I'll speak to her some time today.

Question

00:04:14 - 00:04:22 (9 sec)

[Inaudible, on the the House intelligence committee announcement in regard to Russia]

Donald Trump

00:04:22 - 00:04:51 (29 sec)

We're very happy with the decision by the House Intelligence Committee, saying there's absolutely no collusion with respect to Russia. And it was a very powerful decision, a very strong decision, backed up –- I understand they're going to be releasing hundreds of pages of proof and evidence – but we are very, very happy with that decision. It was a powerful decision that left no doubt, so I want to thank the House intelligence committee and all of the people that voted.

Question

00:04:51 - 00:04:54 (3 sec)

[Inaudible, on the next National Economic Council director]

Donald Trump

00:04:54 - 00:05:13 (19 sec)

I'm looking at Larry Kudlow very strongly. I've known him a long time. We don't agree on everything but in this case I think that's good. I want to have a divergent opinion. We agree on most. He now has come around to believing in tariffs as also a negotiating point.

Donald Trump

00:05:13 - 00:05:39 (27 sec)

I'm renegotiating trade deals and without tariffs we wouldn't do nearly as well. But Larry has been a friend of mine for a long time. He backed me very early in the campaign -- I think the earliest -- I think he was one of my original backers. He's a very, very talented man, a good man, and I think Larry Kudlow has a good chance. I'm also speaking to many others but I think Larry has a very good chance.""

Question

00:05:39 - 00:05:50 (10 sec)

Thank you all, I'll see you, I'll see you at the wall, I'll see you at the wall.