AFP, Washington :
US President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday wrapped up a busy weekend of meetings with cabinet hopefuls at his golf club retreat outside New York, hinting new appointments are imminent.
The Republican billionaire-turned-world leader signaled he is seriously considering retired Marine Corps general James “Mad Dog” Mattis to be his Pentagon chief, heaping praise on him.
When asked before dinner at his Trump National Golf Club in New Jersey if he would soon reveal new nominations, Trump told reporters: “Pretty true,” confirming he had “made a couple of deals.”
It was not clear if Trump planned to make any announcements late Sunday, either from Bedminster or once he makes the 90-minute drive back to Trump Tower in Manhattan.
Beyond Mattis, the top names on the guest list Sunday were Republican New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who was recently ousted as the leader of Trump’s transition team; former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani; and immigration hardliner Kris Kobach.
The president-elect was clearly seeking to sound out people from a wide range of backgrounds, from party stalwarts to business moguls to former rivals.
Some of Trump’s choices for other key posts so far-attorney general, national security adviser and chief White House strategist-have come under fire on civil rights grounds from Democrats and other critics.
But he has also moved to mend fences with moderate Republicans as he goes about building a new administration before his January 20 inauguration.
On Saturday, he interviewed one-time foe Mitt Romney-the 2012 Republican presidential candidate who called him a “fraud” during the recent campaign-for the secretary of state position reportedly coveted by Giuliani.
Trump, 70, was clearly wowed by Mattis, who led the US Central Command from 2010-2013, overseeing the US withdrawal from Iraq and a surge in Afghanistan.
“General James ‘Mad Dog’ Mattis, who is being considered for Secretary of Defense, was very impressive yesterday. A true General’s General!” Trump said Sunday on Twitter.
Meanwhile, former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney is under “active consideration” to serve as US Secretary of State along with other candidates, Vice President-elect Mike Pence said on “Fox News Sunday.”
Romney, who met President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday, was a critic of Trump during the campaign. Pence said that Romney was willing to be considered for the position.
Trump was “very grateful that Governor Mitt Romney came in. They had a good meeting. It was a warm and a substantive exchange and I know he is under active consideration to be Secretary of State… along with some other distinguished Americans.”
But Democrats were skeptical that Romney is an actual contender.
Representative Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, said on CNN Sunday that he would love Romney to get the position and he would be a “consummate diplomat.”
“But I think it’s a total head fake. I think this is Donald Trump still being the entertainer, still running a show where he wants to build suspense and he alone knows who the contestant will be the winner. It’s more of a nod to the appearance of bringing people together.
US President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday wrapped up a busy weekend of meetings with cabinet hopefuls at his golf club retreat outside New York, hinting new appointments are imminent.
The Republican billionaire-turned-world leader signaled he is seriously considering retired Marine Corps general James “Mad Dog” Mattis to be his Pentagon chief, heaping praise on him.
When asked before dinner at his Trump National Golf Club in New Jersey if he would soon reveal new nominations, Trump told reporters: “Pretty true,” confirming he had “made a couple of deals.”
It was not clear if Trump planned to make any announcements late Sunday, either from Bedminster or once he makes the 90-minute drive back to Trump Tower in Manhattan.
Beyond Mattis, the top names on the guest list Sunday were Republican New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who was recently ousted as the leader of Trump’s transition team; former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani; and immigration hardliner Kris Kobach.
The president-elect was clearly seeking to sound out people from a wide range of backgrounds, from party stalwarts to business moguls to former rivals.
Some of Trump’s choices for other key posts so far-attorney general, national security adviser and chief White House strategist-have come under fire on civil rights grounds from Democrats and other critics.
But he has also moved to mend fences with moderate Republicans as he goes about building a new administration before his January 20 inauguration.
On Saturday, he interviewed one-time foe Mitt Romney-the 2012 Republican presidential candidate who called him a “fraud” during the recent campaign-for the secretary of state position reportedly coveted by Giuliani.
Trump, 70, was clearly wowed by Mattis, who led the US Central Command from 2010-2013, overseeing the US withdrawal from Iraq and a surge in Afghanistan.
“General James ‘Mad Dog’ Mattis, who is being considered for Secretary of Defense, was very impressive yesterday. A true General’s General!” Trump said Sunday on Twitter.
Meanwhile, former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney is under “active consideration” to serve as US Secretary of State along with other candidates, Vice President-elect Mike Pence said on “Fox News Sunday.”
Romney, who met President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday, was a critic of Trump during the campaign. Pence said that Romney was willing to be considered for the position.
Trump was “very grateful that Governor Mitt Romney came in. They had a good meeting. It was a warm and a substantive exchange and I know he is under active consideration to be Secretary of State… along with some other distinguished Americans.”
But Democrats were skeptical that Romney is an actual contender.
Representative Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, said on CNN Sunday that he would love Romney to get the position and he would be a “consummate diplomat.”
“But I think it’s a total head fake. I think this is Donald Trump still being the entertainer, still running a show where he wants to build suspense and he alone knows who the contestant will be the winner. It’s more of a nod to the appearance of bringing people together.
