Jon Huntsman, the former governor of Utah, was seen in the halls of the Capitol on Tuesday but he wouldn’t address speculation that he could serve as President Trump’s ambassador to Russia or deputy secretary of state or even run for the Senate against his home state’s senior statesmen, Sen. Orrin Hatch.
Late Tuesday afternoon, Hatch shepherded Huntsman around the Senate but neither he nor the senator would tell reporters the reason for his visit.
Huntsman has been floated as a possible ambassador to Russia, but he wouldn’t confirm whether he was in town to discuss the ambassadorship.
Instead, Huntsman said, he was in Washington “just to see a friend.”
Huntsman, who ran as a Republican for president in 2012, previously served as U.S. ambassador to Singapore and later, China.
Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., who chairs the Foreign Relations Committee, saw Huntsman in the halls and shouted from an open elevator: “Congratulations for what I think is about to occur.”
Huntsman just waved and smiled and wouldn’t confirm any details to reporters, telling them he was hoping to get more information from them.
Moments earlier, the Utah Republican didn’t rule out a Senate run while walking next to Hatch, whose seat is up in 2018.
Al Weaver contributed
