WASHINGTON _ Donald Trump tweeted Friday afternoon that he is keeping embattled Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, though he would not say how long.
"The media has been speculating that I fired Rex Tillerson or that he would be leaving soon _ FAKE NEWS!" he tweeted. "He's not leaving and while we disagree on certain subjects, (I call the final shots) we work well together and America is highly respected again!"
The tweet linked to an Instagram post with a picture of Tillerson being sworn in during a ceremony in the Oval Office.
Trump met for lunch Friday with Tillerson and Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis. Earlier in the day, Tillerson called reports of his potential departure "laughable."
Trump's tweet came on a day when most attention is focused on the indictment of Michael Flynn, Trump's former national security adviser. Trump may be trying to show stability in his administration and undermine the credibility of the news media as it trains its attention on the Russia probe.
