Trump's inner circle divided over secretary of state contender
President-elect Donald Trump will work on the transition Friday at his Florida resort after spending Thanksgiving with his family.
Mr. Trump made foreign policy a centerpiece of his campaign, but has yet to name secretaries of defense, homeland security or state. The current fight on the transition team is over who will lead the State Department – a question that has Mr. Trump’s inner circle divided, reports CBS News correspondent Errol Barnett.
I am working hard, even on Thanksgiving, trying to get Carrier A.C. Company to stay in the U.S. (Indiana). MAKING PROGRESS - Will know soon!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 24, 2016
Mr. Trump was President-out-of-sight-elect Thursday, enjoying a Thanksgiving meal with family at his Mar-a-Lago resort. But he didn’t take the holiday off, writing on Twitter: “I’m working hard, even on Thanksgiving, trying to get carrier A.C. Company to stay in the U.S. (Indiana).”
On the campaign trail, Mr. Trump frequently pointed to the air conditioning company as an example of how trade deals have negatively impacted American workers. “Companies, like Carrier, simply fire their workers and move their operations to Mexico, build new plants, make their product and sell it back into this country,” Mr. Trump said.
Carrier confirmed it’s “...had discussions with the incoming administration…” but has nothing to announce at this time. Also Thursday, Kellyanne Conway, a senior transition adviser and former campaign manager, publicly discouraged Mr. Trump from choosing Mitt Romney as secretary of state.
Receiving deluge of social media & private comms re: Romney Some Trump loyalists warn against Romney as sec of state https://t.co/HDtpjeJTc3
— Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) November 24, 2016
Conway shared an article on twitter titled, “Some Trump loyalists warn against Romney as secretary of state,” and praised the loyalty of former state department secretaries, hinting at Romney’s previous Trump criticisms.
Insults between Mr. Trump and the 2012 nominee flew in both directions.
“He’s playing the members of the American public for suckers. He gets a free ride to the White House, and all we get is a lousy hat,” Romney told a crowd at the University of Utah last March.
“The last election should’ve been won, except Romney choked like a dog. He choked. He went, ‘I can’t breathe!’” Trump mocked Romney at a rally in Rome, New York last April, grabbing his neck.
Also currently on the list for the secretary of state slot is former CIA Director David Petraeus, Senator Bob Corker and longtime Trump ally Rudy Giuliani. Once seen as Mr. Trump’s top pick, Giuliani has been making a public case for his appointment, listing various foreign trips and his close personal relationship with the Israeli prime minister as reasons why he’s the most qualified.