Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will be forced out and replaced by CIA Director Mike Pompeo under a plan devised by the Trump administration, according to a report Thursday.

White House chief of staff John Kelly has developed the transition plan to remove the country’s top diplomat by the end of the year or shortly after, the New York Times reported, citing senior administration officials.

The report said it’s unclear whether President Trump, who has soured on Tillerson and wants a State Department shakeup, has signed off on the plan.

Trump would only say, “He’s here, Rex is here,” when asked during a White House meeting to comment on the reports of Tillerson being ousted.

The White House offered a more forceful denial.

“There are no personnel announcements at this time,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said. “Secretary Tillerson continues to lead the State Department and the entire cabinet is focused on completing this incredibly successful first year of President Trump’s administration.”

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) would replace Pompeo at the CIA, the newspaper reported.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, whose standing in Trump’s inner circle seemed to be rising over her handling of the North Korean crisis, had initially appeared to be a potential replacement for Tillerson.

But the Times reported that Pompeo, a former three-term congressman from Kansas, has become a trusted adviser to the president during daily White House intelligence briefings.