WASHINGTON — Mitt Romney is taking a potential offer to serve as Donald Trump’s secretary of state seriously, even as questions remain about whether Trump considers a Romney nomination as plausible.
A source familiar with transition discussions said Romney is seriously considering the posting, which has not yet been offered. Romney is certainly discussing the prospect with his family members who often serve as his closest advisers, the source said, though a decision is not likely until after the Thanksgiving holiday.
Two transition sources say Romney is one of the leading contenders for the job but others remain in the mix, including former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, according to one of the sources.
Romney and Trump met this past weekend at Trump’s golf retreat in Bedminster, New Jersey, where the two men discussed world affairs and the possible position. Vice President-elect Mike Pence has since confirmed that Romney is under “active consideration” for the job as America’s chief diplomat.
A Romney appointment would give Trump instant gravitas abroad and a marquee name in one of the highest-profile administration postings. The Trump campaign has praised Romney in recent days, even as it stresses that other officials are under consideration for the secretary of state position.
The selection would also be an about-face in the relationship between Trump and the 2012 Republican presidential nominee. Trump and Romney spent much of 2016 in a caustic and nasty war of words, with Romney branding him a “fraud” and a “phony.” Trump fired back, saying it was Romney who had “choked” as the GOP nominee four years earlier.
