Newt Gingrich said Monday he prefers Rudy Giuliani over Mitt Romney when it comes to who President-elect Trump should choose as his secretary of state.
Upon leaving Trump Tower after meeting with Trump on Monday, Gingrich was asked by reporters what he thought of Romney, the 2012 presidential nominee.
“I think that entirely is a question of the president-elect and deciding whether in fact Romney would be willing to be his secretary of state or in fact Romney would work to make Trump Romney’s version of the presidency,” the former House speaker said, according to a press pool report.
While he said he will support whomever Trump picks for his nominee for the nation’s top diplomat, he said there are “huge advantages” to choosing Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City and longtime Trump loyalist.
“I think that, if you want someone who is going to go out and be a very tough negotiator for America and represent American interests in the way that Trump campaigned, I think that probably Rudy is a better pick and has the right temperament,” Gingrich said.
Giuliani was also floated as a possibility to be chosen for attorney general, which has now been offered to Sen. Jeff Sessions, and on Monday was also reportedly in the running for director of national intelligence. Both Romney and Giuliani met with Trump in New Jersey over the weekend.
Gingrich also took a swipe at President Obama’s current head of the State Department, John Kerry.
“We’re going to need somebody who is a fighter.” Gingrich said. “We’re going to need somebody, the world is not going to change just because we show up and say please. If that was going to work, Secretary Kerry would be successful.”
Gingrich, who was once rumored to be a possibility to be Trump’s running mate, said he has told the president-elect that he wants to help the administration as a “senior planner.” He indicated that Trump is “supportive” of what he wants to do.
