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" Donald Trump’s struggle to find a secretary of state has erupted into an early battle for the soul of his nascent presidency – a critical showdown between the insurgents who thrust him into office and establishment Republicans pushing for a more conventional White House.
At the moment, the internal debate over who should serve as the steward of the country’s foreign policy pits advocates for bombastic ex-New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani against those for caustic Trump critic Mitt Romney, the GOP’s 2012 nominee. The behind-the-scenes battle exploded into public view on Thanksgiving Day, after Trump stalwarts began viewing Romney as a serious contender.
The fight is less about elevating the brash and self-promoting Giuliani, according to sources close to the transition, and more about stopping Romney either by selling Trump on the Sept. 11 hero or pushing a third candidate, possibly Gen. David Petraeus, the former CIA director and engineer of the Iraq surge, a half dozen people close to the process told POLITICO.
Trump, in many ways an accidental victor, is in a unique political vise: He is the least popular president-elect in modern history and badly needs his still-divided party to unite around him to consolidate power. Most presidents face this particular day of reckoning – the pivot from a narrow electoral beachhead of diehard supporters to a broader and more inclusive governing coalition -- at some point in their early presidency. What’s extraordinary is how early it’s taking place in the budding Trump administration and that private disputes are going public just three weeks after the election.
Trump transition spokesman Jason Miller told reporters Friday that the president-elect is continuing to meet with several candidates for the position, some of whom share his foreign-policy views, others who don't.“I think a lot of the palace intrigue gets overblown at this stage,” he said. "
http://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/trumps-team-of-rivals-fighting-spills-into-public-231841
At the moment, the internal debate over who should serve as the steward of the country’s foreign policy pits advocates for bombastic ex-New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani against those for caustic Trump critic Mitt Romney, the GOP’s 2012 nominee. The behind-the-scenes battle exploded into public view on Thanksgiving Day, after Trump stalwarts began viewing Romney as a serious contender.
The fight is less about elevating the brash and self-promoting Giuliani, according to sources close to the transition, and more about stopping Romney either by selling Trump on the Sept. 11 hero or pushing a third candidate, possibly Gen. David Petraeus, the former CIA director and engineer of the Iraq surge, a half dozen people close to the process told POLITICO.
Trump, in many ways an accidental victor, is in a unique political vise: He is the least popular president-elect in modern history and badly needs his still-divided party to unite around him to consolidate power. Most presidents face this particular day of reckoning – the pivot from a narrow electoral beachhead of diehard supporters to a broader and more inclusive governing coalition -- at some point in their early presidency. What’s extraordinary is how early it’s taking place in the budding Trump administration and that private disputes are going public just three weeks after the election.
Trump transition spokesman Jason Miller told reporters Friday that the president-elect is continuing to meet with several candidates for the position, some of whom share his foreign-policy views, others who don't.“I think a lot of the palace intrigue gets overblown at this stage,” he said. "
http://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/trumps-team-of-rivals-fighting-spills-into-public-231841