Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson questioned former U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley’s motives for alleging in her new book that he tried to undermine President Trump.
“[There are] so many people still [in the administration] trying to serve the country, so when people write books that quickly after leaving, my guess is [there are] two motivations: They need the money, and they need the political future,” Tillerson told PBS NewsHour anchor Judy Woodruff Monday.
In her book, With All Due Respect, Haley claimed Tillerson and John Kelly, who was Trump’s chief of staff, confided in her that “they were trying to save the country” by resisting the president’s agenda.
“I recall the meeting. But at no time in that conversation do I have any recollection at all of any discussion suggesting that she needed to join some effort of ours,” Tillerson said, also denying that he and Kelly tried to undermine the president.
Haley was critical of her former colleague in her book, calling him “arrogant and condescending” toward her.
“He gave off the unmistakable impression that he knew more than everyone else in the room — including the president,” Haley wrote. “And I will confess that I have never been good with people who are so convinced of their superiority that they refuse to hear anyone else out. Dealing with Rex could be exhausting.”
Tillerson was fired by Trump via Twitter in March 2018. Trump has since called him “dumb as a rock” and “lazy as hell.”
The former secretary of state was asked Monday whether he thinks the country is in good hands with Trump.
“I think the country is in good hands with the American people,” he said. “I don’t worry about the future. I believe the American people are smart. I believe the American people ultimately, if they see something that they don’t feel is serving the American people or serving our national security, they will make a change.”
