After it was reported that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called President Trump a ‘moron’, the embattled former Exxon CEO released a firm statement not denying the report.

Earlier today, NBC News released a story claiming the relationship between Tillerson and Trump has grown so tense that Vice President Mike Pence had to step in and convince Tillerson not to quit.

Although also a multi-millionaire, Tillerson has been known to have beliefs on issues that are contrary to the president. Some analysts have speculated that he may believe in free trade, social progress, and science.

In the unscheduled televised statement, Tillerson said he had “never considered resigning” and he believed Trump to be “smart” and that “accountability is one of the bedrock values” of the president.

Deflecting accountability to NBC News, Trump fired back with both insults in his repertoire in back to back tweets. He led with his trusted #fakenews, followed by an unsubstantiated “ratings are way down”.

“I serve at the appointment of the president,” Tillerson said as Trump mouthed the words from the back of the room, “I am here for as long as the president feels I can be useful to achieving his objectives.” While Tillerson’s job is seen as the top US diplomat, Trump tweeted last week that diplomacy is a waste of time.

Prominently absent from Tillerson’s statement was any denial that he called the president a ‘moron’. Tillerson plans to step down early next week.