President Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE has reportedly bashed Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross Wilbur Louis RossTrump admin asks Supreme Court to fast-track excluding people in U.S. illegally from census Trump 'very happy' to allow TikTok to operate in US if security concerns resolved TikTok, WeChat to be banned Sunday from US app stores MORE as being "past his prime" amid tensions within the administration over trade negotiations with China in recent weeks.

Trump's remarks toward the 80-year-old agency head come as Trump has reportedly kept Ross sidelined for key talks with China, according to Politico.

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Though Trump once hailed his longtime friend Ross, a billionaire investor and trade magnate, as a champion of America-first trade policies, he now says Ross is "no longer a killer."

Ross is still working with the president on some trade issues, but Trump has reportedly largely bypassed the secretary in top-priority negotiations, and Ross was initially not invited to a May summit with Chinese trade officials led by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin Steven Terner MnuchinOn The Money: Powell, Mnuchin stress limits of emergency loans | House seeks to salvage vote on spending bill | Economists tell lawmakers: Kill the virus to heal the economy Economists spanning spectrum say recovery depends on containing virus Powell, Mnuchin stress limits of current emergency lending programs MORE, multiple sources told Politico.

Ross is still working on tasks such as researching potential foreign car tariffs.