Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani is no longer being considered by President-elect Trump for secretary of state or any other position in the administration.
In a statement released Friday, Trump said Giuliani “removed his name from consideration for a position in the new administration” during a Nov. 29 meeting.
“Rudy Giuliani is an extraordinarily talented and patriotic American,” Trump said in a statement. “I will always be appreciative of his 24/7 dedication to our campaign after I won the primaries and for his extremely wise counsel. He is and continues to be a close personal friend, and as appropriate, I will call upon him for advice and can see an important place for him in the administration at a later date.”
“Rudy would have been an outstanding member of the Cabinet in several roles, but I fully respect and understand his reasons for remaining in the private sector,” Trump said.
Giuliani said in a statement: “I joined the campaign because I love my country and because having known Donald Trump as a friend for 28 years and observing what he has been able to accomplish, I had no doubt he would be a great president. This is not about me; it is about what is best for the country and the new administration. Before I joined the campaign I was very involved and fulfilled by my work with my law firm and consulting firm, and I will continue that work with even more enthusiasm. From the vantage point of the private sector, I look forward to helping the president-elect in any way he deems necessary and appropriate.”
Referencing the reported concerns about Giuliani’s background, incoming White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus said Giuliani “was vetted by our team for any possible conflicts and passed with flying colors.”
Earlier Friday, CNN reported Giuliani was not going to be chosen to serve as the country’s top diplomat.
“He’s out of consideration,” CNN’s Ryan Nobles said Friday. “Our sources telling us that the mayor has been told this week that he will not be the next secretary of state.”
Exxon Mobile CEO Rex Tillerson’s stock is rising, Nobles added.
Giuliani’s elimination appears to be a heavy blow for one of President-elect Trump’s most loyal foot soldiers during the presidential campaign. Giuliani has campaigned openly for the job, and was once regarded as a favorite. His cause was boosted by allies such as Newt Gingrich and Mike Huckabee. His early lead failed to generate an early nomination, as Trump has interviewed a broad list of candidates, including Mitt Romney, Huckabee and Gingrich.
“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,” Gingrich said last month in an attack on Romney.
Trump senior adviser Kellyanne Conway also criticized Romney, but said last week that he was one of four people on the shortlist, along with Giuliani, Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Bob Corker, and retired Gen. David Petraeus. But the list has reportedly expanded to include Tillerson and former Ford CEO Alan Mulally.
“And everybody has such a different resume and they all have to have the same perspective, though,” Conway said Friday morning. “You have to be able to adhere to what will be the Trump doctrine, worldwide, and be willing to execute on his vision for that role as secretary of state over at Foggy Bottom.”
