Trump Expands Secretary Of State Candidate List As Team Downplays Taiwan Call
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- More staff announcements are expected this week from President-elect Donald Trump.
As CBS2's Jessica Moore reported, the search is widening for secretary of state – and it now includes another man who once had his eye on the Oval Office.
Former Massachusetts Gov. and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, former CIA director David Petraeus, and U.S. Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) are among the finalists.
Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman and onetime presidential candidate is now another potential candidate, according to a source close to the transition process.
"There are a number of people that we may not have thought wanted to leave their very lucrative private industry positions to go and serve the government, and they are coming forth now and expressing interest," said former Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway.
Members of Trump's team also downplayed his call on Friday with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-Wen, which drew a diplomatic protest from China.
"I would just say to our counterparts in China that this was, this was a moment of courtesy," said Vice President-elect Mike Pence. "The President-elect talked to President Xi (Jinping) two weeks ago in the same manner that was not a discussion about policy."
Meanwhile, an election recount is proceeding this week in Wisconsin and will likely start in Michigan. In Pennsylvania, the Green Party dropped its state court case for a recount and is instead seeking an emergency federal court order.
Former Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein defended herself against claims that money raised for the recounts will be used for different purposes.
"Let me be very clear, this money is going strictly into a segregated account which can only be spent on the recount," Stein said. "So this -- this money is entirely -- will be completely used, and we'll be lucky if we can cover the cost."
Stein said the recount cost has tripled in Wisconsin.
Trump tweeted about a number of issues Sunday, including the Green Party recount and imposing a tax on American companies that open factories elsewhere and then try to sell their products in the U.S. He also criticized Alec Baldwin's impression of him on "Saturday Night Live," calling the show "biased" and "unwatchable."
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