Giuliani pulls out of consideration to
serve in administration: Trump
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[December 10, 2016]
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former New
York Mayor Rudy Giuliani said on Friday he had removed his name from
consideration for a position in Donald Trump's new administration as the
president-elect narrows the field of people he is considering for
secretary of state.
Giuliani's withdrawal from consideration came after Trump made clear
that he was broadening his search for a secretary of state beyond the
four finalists transition aides had identified: Giuliani, former
Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, former CIA head David Petraeus and
Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee.
In recent days, Trump has expanded his search for a secretary of state
to include additional lawmakers and corporate executives, such as Rex
Tillerson of Exxon Mobil Corp <XOM.N> and Alan Mulally, a former
executive at Ford Motor Co <F.N> and Boeing Co <BA.N>.
The Wall Street Journal, citing two transition team officials, said
Tillerson had emerged on Friday as the leading candidate for the State
Department job. It said some Trump advisers saw Tillerson as a
mold-breaking pick who would bring an executive's experience to the post
of top U.S. diplomat.
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Giuliani, speaking to Fox News, said he had actually sent a letter
withdrawing himself from consideration back on Nov. 29 but that the
transition team had rejected it, saying they wanted to continue to keep
him in the running for the State Department.
"I decided ... that the whole thing was becoming ... very difficult for
the president-elect, and my desire to be in the Cabinet was great, but
it wasn't that great and he had a lot of terrific candidates," Giuliani
said in a phone call with Fox.
He said he had met Trump on Friday and they agreed it was worth going
ahead and releasing the letter as the president-elect narrows his choice
for secretary of state. Trump indicated to supporters in Louisiana on
Friday that he would have another Cabinet announcement next week "you're
really going to like."
"They're down to the last two, three, four (candidates), so it made
sense to ... get out of the way," Giuliani said in the Fox interview. He
said he had been considered for other positions in the Cabinet but was
not keen on a role other than State Department.
"That was the only one I had any real interest in. But it wasn't so
overwhelming that I'm terribly disappointed," Giuliani added, noting
that he would continue to act as a friend and informal adviser to Trump.
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Rudy Giuliani, Republican former mayor of New York City, is a
contender for attorney general and secretary of state. REUTERS/Mike
Segar
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Asked his view on Romney as a possible secretary of state, Giuliani
said he agreed with other "very loyal supporters of President-elect
Trump" that "Mitt went over the line" in his criticism of the
candidate during the campaign.
"You can make friends and make up, but I wouldn't see him as a
candidate for the Cabinet," Giuliani said, though he added he would
accept whatever decision Trump ultimately made.
Giuliani's withdrawal was likely to disappoint some of Trump's most
loyal aides, who appreciated how he had supported the
president-elect all along and had been resistant to Romney.
Earlier on Friday, CNN, citing an unnamed source, reported that
Giuliani was told he was no longer in contention for secretary of
state. Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, praised the former New
York mayor in a statement.
"Rudy Giuliani is an extraordinarily talented and patriotic
American," the New York businessman said. "He is and continues to be
a close personal friend, and as appropriate, I will call upon him
for advice and can see an important place for him in the
administration at a later date."
Reince Priebus, Trump's incoming White House chief of staff, said in
the statement that Giuliani “was vetted by our team for any possible
conflicts and passed with flying colors." Giuliani also told Fox the
vetting process had turned up no conflicts.
(Reporting by Steve Holland, Tim Ahmann and David Alexander; writing
by Susan Heavey, Eric Walsh and David Alexander; editing by Jonathan
Oatis)
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