President-elect Donald Trump is expected to meet with former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, apparently setting aside their fundamental differences that emerged during the rancorous presidential campaign.
Mr Romney, the 2012 Republican candidate against Barack Obama, vehemently spoke out against Mr Trump’s candidacy in March, calling him a “phony” and a “fraud”. But CNN reports that the two are meeting to discuss “governing moving forward” and a possible role the incoming Cabinet.
NBC News’ Peter Alexander said a source “familiar with Trump’s thinking” disclosed that the President-elect will talk to Mr Romney about becoming the Secretary of State.
Of course, the report is muddled with speculation that former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, South Carolina Gov Nikki Haley, and former UN ambassador John Bolton are of for the top State Department job.
Mr Romney did not endorse Mr Trump for the presidency. Instead, he pushed for third-party candidate Gary Johnson to be allowed on the debate stage – but he still did not issue an endorsement in that case, either.
In June, Mr Romney rebuked the New York businessman even further, warning of a bleak future for people of colour in America if he won the election.
“I don’t want to see a President of the United States saying things which change the character of generations of Americans that are following,” he said. “Presidents have an impact on the nature of our nation, and trickle-down racism and trickle-down bigotry and trickle-down misogyny – all of these things are extraordinarily dangerous to the heart and character of America.”
Mr Trump has only reaffirmed accusations of racism with the appointment of Breitbart executive chairman Steve Bannon as chief strategist. Breitbart is a favourite news source for white supremacists, and publishes inflammatory work against Muslims, people of colour, and women.
Top Democrats decried the appointment and demanded that Mr Trump rescind his offer to Bannon this week.
“As long as a champion of racial division is a step away from the Oval Office,” senate minority leader Harry Reid said in a floor speech on Tuesday, “it would be impossible to take Trump’s efforts to heal the nation seriously."
