Rex Tillerson: Trump 'Speaks For Himself' On Charlottesville

WASHINGTON, DC — As rumors of discord among the Trump administration continue to swirl and a revolving door of high-profile White House staffers depart the team only seven months into President Trump's term, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson added to that unease on Sunday, saying "the president speaks for himself" when asked about Trump's controversial remarks following the recent deadly violence at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

"Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace pointed out to his guest Tillerson that Trump's response that "many sides" were to blame for the violence in Virginia has become "an international issue" and read a quote from a United Nations committee condemning the Trump administration for its "failure at the highest political level...to unequivocally reject and condemn the racist violent events and demonstrations..." (For more national political news, sign up for the free White House Patch email newsletter.)

Wallace then asked Tillerson: "Does that make it harder for you to push American values around the world when some foreign leaders question the president's values?"

See Also: UN Warns US To Fight Racism After Charlottesville

"Chris, we express America's values from the State Department," replied the secretary of State. "We represent the American people, we represent American's values, our commitment to freedom, our commitment to equal treatment the world over, and that message has never changed."

"And the president's values?" Wallace followed up.

"The president speaks for himself, Chris," Tillerson said. Asked if he was "separating himself" from Trump, the secretary said, "I've made my own comments as to our values in a speech I gave to the State Department this past week."

Watch Wallace's entire interview with Tillerson, which also covers North Korea, Afghanistan and Hurricane Harvey, below.

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'Photo credit: YouTube screen capture/ Late Night