Rudy Giuliani is the favorite for secretary of state in Donald Trump’s administration, a source said.
While the former New York City mayor was initially believed to be one of two candidates in the running to be America’s top diplomat, a senior Trump official who spoke on the condition of anonymity told the Associated Press on Monday night that there was no real competition and that Giuliani was a lock for the job.
Earlier in the evening at a Washington event sponsored by the Wall Street Journal, the 72-year-old insisted that he “won’t be attorney general” in the billionaire’s administration, despite reports that he was viewed as the top choice.
Giuliani went on to say that he believed John Bolton, the former US ambassador to the United Nations, would be “a very good choice” for secretary of state — but also joked about the possibility of taking on the role himself.
When asked if there was anyone who could do a better job than Bolton, the former prosecutor smiled and said, “Maybe me, I don’t know.”
The final decision ultimately comes down to President-elect Donald Trump and his transition team, which has been considering candidates for top governmental positions since the Nov. 8 presidential election.
Giuliani, who has privately expressed interest in the job, also tried to play down what role he might take on in the Trump administration in a weekend interview on ABC News.
“I have a very, very full life. So it would have to be something where I felt he really needed me and — not that I’d be the only one that could do it, but maybe that I could do it a little bit different or a little bit better than somebody else,” Giuliani explained.
Trump and his transition team are planning to meet with Vice President-elect Mike Pence in the Big Apple on Tuesday as they continue to make decisions about who will be appointed to the senior staff and cabinet.
Spokesman Jason Miller said the pair will meet at Trump Tower to review “a number of names.”
With Post wires