WASHINGTON (TIP): 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, March 13 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, March 13 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.”

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.”