Mr Tillerson’s struggle has divided observers.

Some see it as an inescapable consequence of dealing with a free-wheeling, unorthodox president.

Others, however, see it as a fault in his leadership: he has failed to fill many state department roles, and has studiously avoided putting his own stamp on the ministry.

Indeed, he has been frequently left in the foreign policy shadow by Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN, who cultivates a much higher profile and is significantly more media-friendly.

James Jay Carafano, a vice president of the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, defended Mr Tillerson.

“Frankly, the biggest criticisms really amount to he works for Trump and he doesn’t act like Kerry or Clinton,” he told the paper.

“He doesn’t like pandering to the media, and he is perplexed by Trump’s tweeting.