President Donald Trump’s purge of the State Department isn’t over yet. Hours after firing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Trump also fired Tillerson’s right-hand man, Under Secretary Steve Goldstein.
Goldstein, who has operated as a de facto spokesperson for Tillerson, was fired following the release of a statement that undercut the White House narrative of Tillerson’s ouster. According to the White House, Trump Chief of Staff John Kelly notified Tillerson of his dismissal on Friday evening. However, according to Goldstein, Tillerson found out the news from Twitter.
Ousted Secretary of State Rex Tillerson found out that he had been fired from the tweet from President Trump on Tuesday, according to Steve Goldstein, Undersecretary for public diplomacy, @eliselabottcnn reports.
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) March 13, 2018
Further, Goldstein said that Tillerson “did not speak to the President and is unaware of the reason [for his dismissal], but he is grateful for the opportunity to serve, and still believes strongly that public service is a noble calling.”
Remarkable statement from State Department spokesman on Tillerson firing: pic.twitter.com/iBpLaK1tXw
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) March 13, 2018
Trump revealed during a press conference Tuesday morning that he fired Tillerson due to a disagreement over the Iran deal. But Tillerson and Trump had a whole host of disagreements besides just that, and there seems to be no love lost between the two.
Furthermore, according to CBS, Goldstein is “known for being loyal to Tillerson,” so it’s no surprise that he would release a statement contradicting Trump – and it’s no surprise that Trump fired him.
Liberals will surely spin the State Department shake-up as Trump’s desire to surround himself with “yes” men. However, with so much evidence that the Deep State is very, very real, can we really blame him for wanting to oust people he doesn’t truly trust?
And guess what – it looks like more dismissals are coming.
People close to the White House say they expect more major personnel shifts this week. An effort to rip off the bandaid fast on a number of fronts is likely.
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) March 13, 2018
Drop the hammer, Trump!
Source: ZeroHedge
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