Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Mr Tillerson's departure was jokingly dubbed #Rexit by some

The sudden ousting of US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson ignited social media, especially when it emerged that he only found out when President Donald Trump tweeted the news.

Journalists travelling home from Africa with Mr Tillerson said there was "zero indication" he knew his departure was imminent, and state department officials confirmed to US media that he had not spoken with Mr Trump before the announcement.

This is not the first Trump firing to be carried out in such public fashion. Former FBI chief James Comey reportedly learned he had lost his job from television news reports while speaking to a group of FBI employees in Los Angeles.

"You're fired!"

Given that the president became a household name hosting the US television show The Apprentice, some pointed out his apparent reluctance to employ the programme's famous catchphrase: "You're fired!".

Others drew comparisons to Mr Comey's departure.

Mr Tillerson is the latest in a long list of employees who have left the White House since Mr Trump came into power.

Some on social media jokily questioned whether anyone had told him he didn't have to fire someone weekly in his new job, away from The Apprentice.

Other well-known White House departures also featured in social media jokes.

Former Press Secretary Sean Spicer made an unfortunate typo whilst paying tribute to Mr Tillerson - saying he had "severed" the country, not served.

Many users replied, questioning if the mistake had been a Freudian slip by Mr Spicer.

Others pointed out the administration's high staff turnover resembled The Hunger Games - the work of fiction in which contestants compete in an annual televised fight to the death.

Other tweets mocked the outrage over the alleged social media firing.

Another suggested Mr Tillerson may follow the path of former Trump aide Omarosa Manigault Newman and go for a stint on Celebrity Big Brother.

Some used the hashtag #Rexit to discuss the departure, and compared his "extinction" to his dinosaur namesake.