Will Romney make the cut?
> Trump sees ‘tremendous talent’ but gives no new cabinet picks
BEDMINSTER: US President-elect Donald Trump said yesterday he saw “tremendous talent” in a stream of cabinet hopefuls – including former critic Mitt Romney – invited to his golf club for talks, but did not reveal any new nominations.
“You’ll hear some things tomorrow,” the Republican billionaire president-in-waiting told reporters after a marathon day of meetings at his golf retreat in New Jersey, a 90-minute drive outside Manhattan.
Trump is building his new administration after his shock Nov 8 election win over Hillary Clinton, with an eye on his inauguration on Jan 20.
Romney, the failed Republican presidential candidate in 2012, is reportedly in the running to be Trump’s secretary of state, even though the two men traded harsh barbs throughout the White House campaign.
Other high-level candidates who trekked out to Trump’s golf resort included retired general James Mattis, a potential Pentagon chief his team called a “real deal” and “American hero,” and Michelle Rhee, the controversial former head of schools in the US capital.
Trump – with Vice President-elect Mike Pence at his side – said his meetings had gone “really efficiently. Tremendous talent. We’re seeing tremendous talent”.
This included talks with Romney, who emerged from the session saying nothing about whether he was offered the job or was interested in it.
“We had a far-reaching conversation with regards to the various theaters in the world where there are interests of the US of real significance,” Romney said.
“We discussed those areas and exchanged our views on those topics.”
Trump’s team described a “substantive and in-depth conversation about world affairs, national security and the future of America”.
“It was an extremely positive and productive conversation,” a statement said.
During their discussions with Rhee, Trump and Pence discussed “the possibility for increasing competition through charter and choice schools. They also brought the idea of merit pay for teachers going above and beyond in their classrooms into the conversation,” a statement read. – AFP