• Spot gold declined 0.1 percent at $1,324.40 per ounce by 1:36 p.m. EST (1736 GMT), earlier touching $1,330.02, its highest since March 7.
• U.S. gold futures for April delivery settled down $1.50, 0.1 percent, at $1,325.60 per ounce.
• "The political uncertainty has limited the downside price risk for gold in a raising rates environment, as opposed to driving prices significantly higher," said Suki Cooper, Standard Chartered Bank precious metals analyst.
• Technical Fibonacci support for gold was at $1,317.20 an ounce with resistance at $1,336.30, said analysts at ScotiaMocatta in a note.
• Investors have switched to become more risk-averse following the unexpected news of Tillerson's dismissal and the appointment of Pompeo, said OCBC analyst Barnabas Gan.
"Pompeo is a supporter of Trump's trade policy and could help advance his agenda of imposing it on U.S. trading partners ... all this uncertainty and risk aversion leaves gold as a safe haven option," Gan added.
• Supporting gold was news that Trump was seeking to impose tariffs on up to $60 billion of Chinese imports and will target the technology and telecommunications sectors.
• In other precious metals, silver was barely changed at $16.53 per ounce.
• Platinum was flat at $960.60 an ounce after touching $973.20, a one-week high, and palladium dropped 0.2 percent to $988.70, reaching a near two-week high earlier at $1006.30.
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