Fox News is reporting that the Trump transition team wants Mitt Romney to publicly apologize for his rants against the president-elect during the campaign before he is offered the position of secretary of State.
Can you say, “Assume the position, Mr. Romney”?
A transition official told Fox’s Ed Henry that some in Trump’s inner circle want the former Massachusetts governor to apologize in order to be seriously considered for the secretary of State.
Trump is reportedly considering whether to pick Romney or former New York City Mayor Rudy Giulianifor the coveted cabinet position.
Giuliani is the preferred choice of Trump’s loyalists and grassroots supporters, while Romney is a favorite of establishment conservatives.
“It’s not about that I don’t care for Mitt personally, but I’m still very unhappy that Mitt did everything he could to derail Donald Trump,” said Trump supporter Mike Huckabee in a Fox interview on Wednesday.
“There’s only one way that I think Mitt Romney could even be considered for a post like that and that is he goes to a microphone in a very public place and repudiates everything he said in that famous Salt Lake City speech, and everything he said after that,” Huckabee said, referring to a famous anti-Trump speech Romney gave in March.
.@edhenry's sources say Gov Mitt Romney may issue an apology to the President-elect to secure the Secretary of State position. Will it work? pic.twitter.com/ik9mNdUJxw
— FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) November 25, 2016
If this is a serious condition for Trump’s acceptance of Romney as secretary of State, it’s designed as a poison pill. But it’s not. This is another well-played piece of political calculus for the president-elect. Trump gains political capital by appearing to consider his bitterest enemy for an important post in his administration, while knowing there’s no chance in hell Romney will grovel in this fashion to take it.
Or would Romney castrate himself to be secretary of State? He’s an ambitious patrician, but I don’t think he would go that far.
In fact, I doubt Romney would take the job now even if Trump offered it with no strings. Those in the Trump camp who have been trying to torpedo the choice of Romney for secretary of State have finally succeeded.
And most of Trump’s most passionate supporters are breathing a sigh of relief.
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