Mitt Romney confirmed on Monday night that he is not President-elect Trump’s pick to be secretary of state.
“It was an honor to have been considered for Secretary of State of our great country,” Romney wrote in a Facebook post, with an emphasis on the past tense.
“My discussions with President-elect Trump have been both enjoyable and enlightening. I have very high hopes that the new administration will lead the nation to greater strength, prosperity and peace.”
Trump called Romney to tell him he would not be offered the Cabinet position, Bloomberg reported earlier. Romney had been on the president-elect’s short list for the job until he made his decision.
ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson is expected to be tapped for the role.
Trump tweeted earlier Monday that he would announce his pick to lead the State Department on Tuesday morning.
Other candidates included former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton, Republican Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee and former CIA Director David Petraeus.
