Tillerson plays down tensions with Trump

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Sunday minimized tensions with his boss, President Donald Trump, and brushed aside comments from an influential lawmaker, who compared Trump's undermining of his top diplomat to a public castration.

"I am fully committed to his objectives. I agree with his objectives. I agree with what he is trying to do," Tillerson said of Trump on CNN's 'State of the Union' program.

Tillerson's tenure as secretary of state has been dogged by rumors about rifts with Trump over policy. Earlier this month, Trump undercut Tillerson in a Twitter message, saying the secretary of state was wasting his time trying to negotiate with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker said Trump's comments were the equivalent of castrating the secretary in public.

"I checked. I'm fully intact," Tillerson said when asked about Corker's comments on CNN.

Tillerson repeatedly declined to answer a question about a report by NBC News that said the secretary of state had called Trump a "moron" during a private meeting in July with US officials.

The secretary of state accused CNN moderator Jake Tapper of trying "make a game" out of pressing him on the "moron" comment.