Kellyanne Conway Criticizes Possibility of Mitt Romney Becoming Secretary of State

Could Mitt Romney become secretary of state in President-elect Donald Trump’s administration? His name has been floated around for the job in the past week, but Kellyanne Conway, Trump’s senior adviser, is voicing concerns over the former GOP presidential candidate’s loyalty.

Appearing on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday, Conway told host Martha Raddatz that Romney “went out of his way” to damage Trump during the presidential campaign.

“There was the ‘Never Trump’ movement and then there was Governor Mitt Romney,” Trump’s former campaign manager said. “He went out of his way to hurt Donald Trump.”

Romney had indeed been a vocal critic of Trump during the election. In a speech in March, Romney said Trump “lacks the temperament to be president” and called him a “phony” and a “fraud.” “He’s playing the members of the American public for suckers,” he added.

Still, the former Massachusetts governor met with Trump earlier this month at the latter’s golf club in New Jersey, sparking rumors that he was in talks for the secretary of state job. On Thanksgiving, Conway said on Twitter that she had received a “deluge” of messages from Trump loyalists warning against picking Romney for secretary of state.

While Conway said whoever Trump picks will have her “full support and respect,” she said the appointment shouldn’t be the “cost of admission” for party unity.

“This is Trump’s party now and he won states that Mitt Romney lost,” she said. “I don’t think a cost of admission for party unity has to be the secretary of state position.”

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