Secretary of State Tillerson says he is 'not going anywhere'

[July 27, 2017]    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Wednesday that he was "not going anywhere," denying news reports that he was considering leaving his post.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson makes a speech during the opening ceremony of the 22nd World Petroleum Congress in Istanbul, Turkey, July 9, 2017. REUTERS/Murad Sezer

"I'm not going anywhere," Tillerson told reporters at the State Department. Asked how long he would stay on, Tillerson turned and smiled, saying, "As long as the president lets me."

Asked about his relationship with President Donald Trump, Tillerson said simply, "Good."

The speculation over Tillerson's remaining in Trump's cabinet came after days of Trump publicly attacking Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Trump said Sessions had "taken a VERY weak position" on investigating his former opponent in the 2016 presidential election, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, over her use of a private email server.

On Monday, Trump called Sessions "beleaguered."

(Reporting by Yeganeh Torbati; Editing by James Dalgleish)

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