Tillerson says last day at State will be March 31

by Max Greenwood - 03/13/18 2:19 PM ET

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Tuesday that he will remain at the State Department until the end of the month.

Speaking at a department press briefing hours after his surprise firing by President Trump, Tillerson said that his commission as the nation’s top diplomat would terminate at midnight on March 31.

Until then, he said, he would delegate his responsibilities to Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan at the end of the day Tuesday.

Tillerson did not mention Trump at all during the briefing and did not take any questions from reporters.

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He planned to meet with staffers later Tuesday to thank them for their work.

Trump announced abruptly on Tuesday morning that he would nominate CIA Director Mike Pompeo as his new secretary of State, ending a rocky tenure at the department for Tillerson.

Tillerson said at the briefing that he was committed to ensuring an “orderly and smooth” transition as he prepares to leave the department.