President Donald Trump fumed privately but is not likely to respond publicly to the recent sharp rebukes by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and National Economic Council director Gary Cohn, Politico reported.
When Tillerson was asked on "Fox News Sunday" whether Trump represented American values with his comments after the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, he responded, "The president speaks for himself."
"In the normal course of things, a secretary of state would be fired an hour after saying such a thing on national TV," National Review editor Rich Lowry told Politico.
Speaking out separately about Trump's response to Charlottesville, Cohn said the president could do better — and had reportedly drafted resignation letters over the matter.
"It's highly unusual for senior aides and Cabinet officials to openly critique the president," Ryan Williams, a GOP consultant, told Politico. "To some degree, they were likely fed up with the current situation and don't fear the consequences. What's the worst that can happen? He fires you."
Trump, whose approval ratings have dropped and who has already lost senior staff members, does not want to shed any more personnel right now, one unnamed adviser told Politico.
And his press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, declared Monday "the president has confidence in his team, and we are working hard to accomplish our goals and make America great again."
Conservative activist Matt Schlapp told Politico that Tillerson's comments were "perfectly valid" and some were reading too much into his words.
"They came from the heart,” he said."'The president speaks for himself' is a response I've given multiple times. The president is his own best spokesperson."
According to Politico, Tillerson has told people he has no plans to depart the administration immediately, and Cohn is working on a tax-reform speech Trump is expected to give Wednesday.
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