washington u.s. secretary state rex tillerson say wednesday never consider resign commit president donald trump agenda fail address whether refer president moron nbc report state department late deny even use word issue tillerson early decline specifically address secretary .... use language speak anyone say state department spokeswoman heather nauert say brief top u.s. diplomat whose tenure dog rumor unhappiness trump policies rhetoric say commit trump agenda today accept offer serve secretary state episode late controversy embroil trump administration witness string high-profile departures fire recent months include chief staff national security advisor former fbi director nbc report session trump national security team cabinet officials pentagon tillerson openly criticize president refer moron cite three officials familiar incident tillerson sidestep issue take question make statement hastily organize news conference go deal petty stuff like say add place washington place come deal kind petty nonsense tillerson speak nbc report vice president mike pence top officials intervene persuade resign summer tensions rise trump vice president never persuade remain secretary state never consider leave post tillerson say commitment success president country strong day accept offer serve secretary state tillerson say nauert say tillerson trump speak late wednesday good conversation tillerson offer apology trump one need tillerson former ceo exxon former president boy scout say trump smart demand result trump late tell reporters las vegas honor comment fake news totally phony story ... make nbc make ... total confidence rex total confidence trump appear undercut tillerson weekend president tweet tell waste time try negotiate north korean leader kim jong un pyongyang nuclear missile program tillerson offer vigorous defense u.s. president foreign policy even though white house state department time appear differ policy president trump foreign policy goals break mold people traditionally think achievable behalf country tillerson say embarrass episode underscore sense disarray u.s. friends foes alike detect deal trump foreign policy apparatus could undermine u.s. credibility world affairs pence statement say never discuss tillerson prospect secretary state resignation tweet trump early urge nbc apologize story nbc news anchor hallie jackson say air nbc issue apology america president call ... secretary refute directly key point story several nbc journalists report story also stand piece say msnbc report true defense secretary jim mattis play tensions trump tillerson apparent split recently north korea administration officials privately describe tillerson chafe president pronouncements off-the-cuff decisions sometimes contrary advice senior advisers one u.s. official say view many within administration despite tillerson denial contemplate resignation matter time consider official speak condition anonymity say reason believe trump would give habit publicly contradict tillerson time speculation future would resurface tillerson often find odds president range issue accord current former u.s. officials media report take hawkish view russia try mediate dispute among key u.s. mideast ally four arab nations boycott qatar allege extremist tie tillerson also appear distance trump response violence charlottesville virginia summer say time president speak ask trump value senator bob corker tennessee republican say tillerson work difficult circumstances administration undermine authority try act secretary state daily basis decline name name corker chairman senate foreign relations committee ask whether support tillerson say team tillerson mattis white house chief staff john kelly help separate us chaos absolutely support em absolutely tillerson confirm 56-43 senate confirmation hear january unusually low confirmation secretary state many members congress include republicans strongly object plan slash state department foreign aid budget tillerson say never consider resign