(WASHINGTON) – The State Department says White House chief of staff John Kelly is disputing reports of a plan to replace Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert says Kelly called Tillerson’s chief of staff, Margaret Peterlin, on Thursday to say the “rumors are not true.”
Nauert says Tillerson serves at the president’s pleasure and remains in his role until told otherwise. She says that Tillerson “brushed this off today” because he’s heard such stories before.
Nauert says Tillerson is “going about his business” and will travel to Europe on an official trip starting Monday.
More Must-Read Stories From TIME
- Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade, Undoing Constitutional Right to Abortion
- What the Supreme Court’s Abortion Decision Means for Your State
- The Failure of the Feminist Industrial Complex
- The Fight Over Abortion Has Only Just Begun
- Column: How Stereotypes Shape the Language People Use
- Everything We Know About Beyoncé's New Album, Renaissance
- Homes Made from Straw or Fungi Can Now Get You a Cheaper Mortgage in the Netherlands
- Going on Vacation This Summer? Welcome to the 'Revenge Travel' Economy
Read More From TIME