President Trump said Tuesday he has ousted Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and plans to nominate CIA Director Mike Pompeo to replace him as the nation’s top diplomat, orchestrating a major change to his national security team amid delicate outreach that includes possible talks with North Korea. 
 
 Trump and Tillerson have had a fraught relationship for many months. Trump told reporters Tuesday that he ultimately decided to fire the secretary because they disagreed over strategy in key areas of foreign policy, such as the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, the approach to North Korea and the overall tone of U.S. diplomacy. 
 
 Tillerson said he received a call from Trump around noon Tuesday, more than three hours after his firing was first reported by The Washington Post and announced minutes later in a tweet from the president. 
 
 His voice quavering, Tillerson thanked career diplomats for their “honesty and integrity” and the American people for “acts of kindness,” and he singled out Defense Secretary Jim Mattis for their partnership and mutual support of diplomacy. But he notably did not thank Trump or praise his policies. 
 
 Tillerson said he will remain in his post until March 31 but is delegating all authorities for running the State Department to Deputy Secretary John Sullivan and is committed to ensuring “an orderly and smooth transition.” The deposed diplomat also made a clear statement about Russian aggression: “Much work remains to respond to the troubling behavior and actions on the part of the Russian government.” 
 
 The shake-up left officials at the State Department and throughout the national security community flummoxed, and the circumstances of the firing were in dispute. 
 
 White House officials said that — as Tillerson traveled through Africa last week — White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly called to wake him up in the wee hours there Saturday to alert him that Trump had decided to replace him. Trump had told his chief of staff he wanted to announce he was replacing Tillerson on Twitter. Kelly urged him to hold off. 
 
 Kelly then suggested Tillerson return to Washington as soon as possible. Tillerson cut his trip short Monday. 
 
 [A host of challenges awaits Pompeo if he confirmed] 
 
 But a top State Department spokesman offered a different version of events — and was swiftly fired for contradicting the White House. 
 
 Steve Goldstein, undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs, said that Tillerson was “unaware of the reason” for his firing and had not spoken directly with Trump. He said Kelly told Tillerson in the call only that “he could expect a tweet” from the president, but it was not conveyed that the decision to fire him was final. 
 
 “He found out that he was terminated today,” Goldstein said. 
 
 Goldstein’s dismissal, which came just before he was scheduled to brief reporters about the shake-up at Foggy Bottom, was confirmed by a State Department official. West Wing officials had accused him in recent weeks of privately criticizing White House decisions to reporters. Asked Tuesday about the accusation, Goldstein said: “I spoke for the secretary of state. That was part of my role as the undersecretary.” 
 
 The president and his top diplomat reached a breaking point over the past week, and media inquiries about the fraught relationship accelerated the timing of the ouster, White House officials said. 
 
 After Kelly told him he was being let go, Tillerson asked that Trump hold off on announcing the news until he had returned to the United States, and Kelly agreed, one White House official said. 
 
 [Trump makes major gambit with plans for talks with North Korean leader] 
 
 Trump told reporters that he had been considering removing Tillerson for “a long time.” 
 
 “I actually got along well with Rex, but really it was a different mind-set, a different thinking,” Trump said Tuesday as he departed the White House for a trip to California. “When you look at the Iran deal, I think it’s terrible. I guess he thought it was okay . . . . So we were not really thinking the same. With Mike, Mike Pompeo, we have a very similar thought process. I think it’s going to go very well.” 
 
 Trump selected CIA Deputy Director Gina Haspel to succeed Pompeo as the agency’s director. She would become the first woman to run the spy agency. Both Haspel and Pompeo would need to be confirmed by the Senate at a time when the closely divided chamber has stalled on confirming dozens of Trump nominees. 
 
 Haspel, in particular, could come under added scrutiny over her past role running one of the CIA “black site” prisons where detainees were subjected to waterboarding and other interrogation methods widely denounced as torture. 
 
 [CIA chief nominee tied to brutal interrogation methods] 
 
 The announcement of Tillerson’s departure sent shock waves across the globe. Many U.S. diplomats and foreign leaders reacted with disbelief because they assumed Tillerson had finally begun to settle into his job after rumors of his ouster had swirled for months — even taking on a nickname, Rexit. 
 
 In a statement first issued to The Post, Trump praised both Pompeo and Haspel. He highlighted Pompeo’s educational background, graduating first in his class from West Point and with honors from Harvard Law School, and celebrated the “historic milestone” of Haspel becoming the first woman to lead the CIA. 
 
 Pompeo said in a statement that he was “deeply grateful” to Trump and said he looked “forward to representing him and the American people to the rest of the world to further America’s prosperity.” 
 
 Trump also had words of praise for Tillerson despite their well-documented rifts: “Finally, I want to thank Rex Tillerson for his service. A great deal has been accomplished over the last fourteen months, and I wish him and his family well.” 
 
 [No one more surprised than Tillerson at his abrupt ouster] 
 
 In his statement, Goldstein said: “The secretary had every intention of staying because of the critical progress made in national security and other areas. He will miss his colleagues greatly at the Department of State, and the foreign ministers he’s worked with throughout the world. The secretary did not speak to the president, and is unaware of the reason. He is grateful for the opportunity to serve, and believes strongly that public service is a noble calling.” 
 
 The president has long clashed with Tillerson, who he believes is “too establishment” in his thinking. Trump felt it was important to make the change now, as he prepares for possible high-stakes talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, as well as upcoming trade negotiations, three White House officials said. 
 
 Tillerson was especially frustrated when Trump last Thursday unilaterally agreed to the meeting with the North Korean leader Kim while Tillerson was traveling in Africa, according to officials familiar with his thinking. 
 
 Tillerson had long expressed interest in a diplomatic solution to the nuclear standoff with North Korea, and was upset to have been left totally out of the loop when Trump decided to move forward, according to a White House official. 
 
 Tillerson was routinely undermined in his post, including by Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and a senior White House adviser who took charge of the Middle East and Mexico diplomatic portfolios. 
 
 Tillerson also clashed frequently with national security adviser H.R. McMaster and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, among others. State Department officials took notice — and were chagrined — that Pompeo did not cite Tillerson when he appeared on television shows Sunday to explain the North Korea developments. 
 
 Although he frequently complained to colleagues that Trump was too mercurial and impulsive, and voiced frustration that the president struggled to focus during meandering conversations, Tillerson was determined to stay in his job and would not quit, according to one person who has discussed these concerns with the secretary. Tillerson’s stance, this person said, was: “If he wants me gone, he’ll fire me.” 
 
 [Trump’s tumultuous Cabinet, ranked] 
 
 On the flight back from Nigeria, Tillerson appeared to break with the White House in his assessment of the poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter in Britain. He singled out Russia as responsible for the attack, echoing the finger-pointing of the British government. 
 
 “It came from Russia,” Tillerson said, according to the Associated Press. “I cannot understand why anyone would take such an action. But this is a substance that is known to us and does not exist widely.” 
 
 Earlier Monday, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders condemned the attack as “reckless, indiscriminate and irresponsible,” and expressed solidarity with Britain, but would not say whether the United States believes Russia was behind it. 
 
 Pompeo long has been mentioned as Tillerson’s most likely replacement. As CIA director, the former Republican lawmaker from Kansas developed a warm relationship with Trump, often delivering the President’s Daily Brief to Trump in person and racing over to the West Wing at a moment’s notice to field the president’s queries on a range of topics. 
 
 Pompeo often is found in a host of meetings that do not necessarily deeply involve his agency, simply because Trump likes him, said one White House official. 
 
 Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) was initially mentioned as a replacement for Pompeo, but Trump opted to promote from within by elevating Haspel. 
 
 [A woman CIA chief was once unthinkable. But female spies are nothing new.] 
 
 White House officials, still reeling from the loss of a Republican Senate seat in Alabama, were reluctant to tap Cotton and create a vacancy in Arkansas, and they thought Cotton could be more useful to Trump as a loyal ally in the Senate, according to officials familiar with the deliberations. 
 
 Speculation about Tillerson’s ouster has come in waves, including in October after NBC News reported that the secretary of state had called Trump a “moron.” Tillerson did not deny the remark. 
 
 Tillerson, 65, spent his career at ExxonMobil, climbing the ranks at the oil giant to become chief executive officer, where he cut deals across the Middle East and in Mexico. Having never worked in government before being named secretary of state, he struggled to adapt to Washington’s ways and the administration’s culture of backstabbing. 
 
 Tillerson emerged as one of the strongest voices in the administration critical of Russia. For months, he has been saying Russia clearly meddled in the 2016 U.S. election, even as Trump shied away from any critical remarks. 
 
 Trump seemed to resent pressure to stay the course on such issues as China’s trade practices, the war in Afghanistan and the Iran nuclear deal, those people said. 
 
 Tillerson pushed Trump to preserve the Iran accord, at least for now, with a July pronouncement that Iran was meeting its end of the bargain — which curbs Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for lifting international sanctions. 
 
 Trump said in a Wall Street Journal interview that he regretted making that determination. In October, Trump kept in place the sanctions waivers, but warned he may not continue the policy when the next review is due in May. 
 
 Although Tillerson supported the approach to the war in Afghanistan that Trump announced last year, he felt no need to frame U.S. goals in the same maximal terms as the commander in chief. Where Trump proclaimed on Aug. 21 that “our troops will fight to win,” Tillerson laid out a much more modest agenda. 
 
 Robert Costa, Josh Dawsey, Karen DeYoung, Carol Morello and Brian Murphy contributed to this report. 

 President Trump has removed Rex Tillerson as secretary of state and replaced him with current CIA Director Mike Pompeo, after months of speculation surrounding Tillerson's role in the Trump administration, a fact Tillerson only learned was official when the announcement was made on Tuesday morning. 
 
 Mr. Trump announced the news of Tillerson's ouster on Twitter, thanking him for his service. The Washington Post first reported news of Tillerson's firing, shortly before the president's tweet. 
 
 Mike Pompeo, Director of the CIA, will become our new Secretary of State. He will do a fantastic job! Thank you to Rex Tillerson for his service! Gina Haspel will become the new Director of the CIA, and the first woman so chosen. Congratulations to all! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 13, 2018 
 
 As Mr. Trump departed for a California trip Tuesday morning, he told reporters that he and Tillerson "disagree on things," and he singled out the Iran nuclear deal as an issue. 
 
 "Rex and I have been talking about this for a long time. We got along actually quite well, but we disagreed on things," he said. "When you look at the Iran deal -- I think it's terrible. I guess he thought it was OK. I wanted to either break it or do something. And he felt a little bit differently. So we were not really thinking the same." 
 
 Trump on Tillerson removal: "Rex will be much happier now" 
 
 News of Tillerson's departure from the State Department came as the secretary arrived in Washington early Tuesday morning after his overseas visit to Africa. There, he reaffirmed the U.S. -- Africa relationship in spite of alleged vulgar comments made by the president about immigrants from African nations in January. 
 
 When did Rex Tillerson know? 
 
 According to a White House offficial, Chief of Staff John Kelly had phoned Tillerson on Friday to inform him of the president's decision. Tillerson and Kelly had then agreed that any announcement would be held until he returned from his trip to Africa. CBS News' Margaret Brennan reports that as a result of his call with Kelly, Tillerson had cancelled his scheduled public events in Nairobi and proceeded to cut his trip short to return to Washington. 
 
 News of his firing was reported by the Washington Post before the president tweeted the announcement that Pompeo would replace him. During remarks at the State Department, Tillerson told reporters that he received a call on Tuesday "a little after noon time" from the the president, as well as Kelly "to ensure we have clarity as to the days ahead." 
 
 Earlier, State Department Under Secretary Steve Goldstein said in a statement to CBS News on Tuesday morning,"The Secretary had every intention of staying because of the critical progress made in national security. He will miss his colleagues at the Department of State and the foreign ministers he has worked with throughout the world." 
 
 Goldstein added in his statement that Tillerson was "unaware of the reason" he had been removed but said he is "grateful for the opportunity to serve, and still believes strongly that public service is a noble calling." Just hours after Tillerson's ouster, Goldstein was later told by the White House that he too was no longer needed in his role at the State Department. 
 
 While in Africa, Tillerson was largely left out of major developments in North Korea as the White House announced it would be taking up talks with the regime sometime in May. Brennan reported that in fact, Tillerson had every intention of staying because of the critical progress in national security on North Korea. 
 
 CIA Director Pompeo says pressure on North Korea will continue 
 
 "This is a level of discussion, this president is going to drive this effort, this negotiation, but it will take a team to build out the picture, so that we put the president in the best position so that he can achieve that outcome," Pompeo said Sunday. 
 
 Mr. Trump released a statement shortly before leaving for his trip to California saying he was "proud" to nominate Pompeo to replace Tillerson. 
 
 "His experience in the military, Congress, and as leader of the CIA have prepared him well for his new role and I urge his swift confirmation," said Mr. Trump in a statement. He added, " want to thank Rex Tillerson for his service. A great deal has been accomplished over the last fourteen months, and I wish him and his family well." 
 
 According to the White House, Gina Haspel, the Deputy Director of the CIA, will be nominated to replace Director Pompeo. If confirmed, she would become the CIA's first female director. She was only recently named deputy director. 
 
 Pompeo said in a statement of the president's decision, "If confirmed, I look forward to guiding the world's finest diplomatic corps in formulating and executing the President's foreign policy." 
 
 He added, "In my time as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, I have worked alongside many remarkable Foreign Service officers and Department of State leaders serving here in the United States and on the very edge of freedom. I know I will learn from them and, as President Trump set out in his State of the Union Address, work hard to ensure that "our nation will forever be safe and strong and proud and mighty and free." 

 CLOSE Here's what we know about Mike Pompeo, the man who will replace Rex Tillerson as secretary of State. USA TODAY 
 
 Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Brussels on Dec. 6, 2017. (Photo: Stephanie Leco, epa-EFE) 
 
 WASHINGTON – After months of disputes with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, President Trump removed him Tuesday and nominated CIA Director Mike Pompeo to head the State Department. 
 
 White House officials said a Tillerson aide was also fired for giving reporters differing accounts of how the secretary of State learned of his fate. The two officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the move. 
 
 The officials said they are bracing for more staff changes, citing Trump's comment Tuesday as he prepared to fly to California: "I'm really at a point where we're getting very close to having the Cabinet and other things that I want." 
 
 Tillerson, who said Trump called him hours after he tweeted an announcement about Pompeo's nomination, said his last day would be March 31, and he pledged an "orderly and smooth transition." 
 
 Trump said he made the decision on Tillerson, citing disagreements with the secretary of State that included North Korea diplomacy, steel and aluminum tariffs and the Iran nuclear agreement. 
 
 CLOSE Rex Tillerson is the CEO of ExxonMobil. His ties around the globe include a close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. USA TODAY NETWORK 
 
 "I think Rex will be much happier now," Trump said. 
 
 Tillerson, whose voice cracked at times during a brief statement at the State Department, did not take questions. 
 
 Steve Goldstein, the Tillerson aide who was fired, said Tillerson wanted to stay as secretary of State. 
 
 As for Pompeo, Trump praised his new nominee's "tremendous energy, tremendous intellect" and said, "We’re always on the same wavelength. The relationship has been very good, and that’s what I need as secretary of State." 
 
 Trump said in a written statement that at the State Department, Pompeo "will continue our program of restoring America’s standing in the world, strengthening our alliances, confronting our adversaries, and seeking the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula." 
 
 Before his departure to California, Trump said he got along with Tillerson, but they disagreed on things. Trump cited the Iran nuclear deal in particular: "I think it's terrible. I guess he feels it was OK." He complimented Tillerson for "his commitment and his service, and I wish him well. He’s a good man.” 
 
 Goldstein, undersecretary for public diplomacy, said Tillerson "did not speak to the president and is unaware of the reason" for the decision. 
 
 "The secretary had every intention of staying because of the critical progress made in national security," Goldstein said. "He will miss his colleagues at the Department of State and the foreign ministers he has worked with throughout the world." 
 
 Hours later, Goldstein was fired. 
 
 The two anonymous White House officials said chief of staff John Kelly spoke with Tillerson on Friday and Saturday about the change. 
 
 “It was clear on Friday,” one of the officials said. 
 
 The State Department said Tillerson did not speak to Trump — something White House officials confirmed — and the secretary didn't know about the final decision until the tweet. 
 
 Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan will serve as acting secretary of State. 
 
 Mike Pompeo, Director of the CIA, will become our new Secretary of State. He will do a fantastic job! Thank you to Rex Tillerson for his service! Gina Haspel will become the new Director of the CIA, and the first woman so chosen. Congratulations to all! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 13, 2018 
 
 In a written statement from the White House, Pompeo said that, if confirmed, "I look forward to guiding the world’s finest diplomatic corps in formulating and executing the president’s foreign policy." 
 
 In his time at the CIA, the former Kansas congressman said, "I have worked alongside many remarkable Foreign Service officers and Department of State leaders serving here in the United States and on the very edge of freedom." 
 
 Gina Haspel, deputy director of the CIA, would become the agency's first woman director of the CIA. 
 
 A 30-year veteran of the CIA, Haspel said, "I look forward to providing President Trump the outstanding intelligence support he has grown to expect during his first year in office." 
 
 Pompeo and Haspel must be confirmed by the Senate. 
 
 The administration's critics described Tillerson's abrupt dismissal as another sign of administration disarray. "The instability of this administration in just about every area weakens America," said Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. “If he’s confirmed, we hope that Mr. Pompeo will turn over a new leaf and will start toughening up our policies towards Russia and (President Vladimir) Putin.” 
 
 CLOSE President Trump has "total confidence" in Mike Pompeo, his new pick for secretary of State. Trump announced Tuesday that he fired Rex Tillerson and would replace him with Pompeo, the CIA director. (March 13) AP 
 
 Trump’s tweet Tuesday came the day after Tillerson blamed Russia for an assassination of an ex-spy in London — something the White House declined to do hours before. 
 
 After the Tillerson announcement, Trump said Tuesday that it "sounds to me like it will be Russia based on all the evidence they have" and that the United States will condemn the Russians if the British present sufficient evidence. Trump said he will speak today with British Prime Minister Theresa May. 
 
 A former Exxon executive, Tillerson had business dealings with Russia, a source of controversy when Trump nominated him to head the State Department. A special counsel is investigating whether there were ties between Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and Russians who sought to influence that race via hacked emails and fake news. 
 
 Hello! We’ve got complete midterm election coverage right here. Let’s begin! 
 
 Last Thursday, Tillerson said it would be premature for Trump to hold talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. That evening, Trump said he would meet Kim by May to discuss the future of North Korea's nuclear weapons program. 
 
 Last year, Tillerson said the United States should talk with North Korea, a suggestion Trump quickly shot down. 
 
 Tillerson opposed Trump's decision this month to impose tariffs on certain steel and aluminum imports. 
 
 In addition to his professional turmoil, Tillerson also recently endured a personal loss. His father, Bob J. Tillerson, died Feb. 25 in Pagosa Springs, Colo., at the age of 91. The former secretary of State’s parents met at a Boy Scout summer camp in Texas and later Bob Tillerson had a nearly 30-year career working for the Boy Scouts of America. Rex Tillerson has been a longtime Boy Scout volunteer, including a stint as the organization’s national president. 
 
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 Mike Pompeo, Director of the CIA, will become our new Secretary of State. He will do a fantastic job! Thank you to Rex Tillerson for his service! Gina Haspel will become the new Director of the CIA, and the first woman so chosen. Congratulations to all!
– Another White House staffing bombshell: Rex Tillerson, who has had a rocky public relationship with President Trump, is out as secretary of state, reports the Washington Post. Trump is replacing him with CIA chief Mike Pompeo, a move the president himself confirmed on Twitter: Pompeo "will do a fantastic job!" the president wrote. "Thank you to Rex Tillerson for his service!" The shuffle will result in Gina Haspel replacing Pompeo at the CIA—pending Senate confirmation—making her the agency's first female leader. Tillerson, for his part, increasingly seemed out of sync with the White House, and this move was apparently no different. CBS News reports he had not spoken with Trump and found out with the public. "The Secretary had every intention of staying because of the critical progress made in national security," said a department statement, which added that "he will miss his colleagues" at State and fellow foreign ministers. Two recent examples of the Trump-Tillerson distance, per USA Today: On Monday, Tillerson blamed Russia for a London assassination, something the White House had stopped short of doing. Tillerson also seemed caught off guard by Trump's announcement of a summit with Kim Jong Un of North Korea.The Post cites statements from both Trump and Pompeo on the news: Trump: "I want to thank Rex Tillerson for his service. A great deal has been accomplished over the last fourteen months, and I wish him and his family well." Pompeo: "I am deeply grateful to President Trump for permitting me to serve as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency and for this opportunity to serve as Secretary of State,” he said. "His leadership has made America safer and I look forward to representing him and the American people to the rest of the world to further America’s prosperity."