Over the past several weeks, members of President-elect Donald Trump’s inner-circle have been engaged in a heated battle over who Trump should name as Secretary of State.
Many Trump loyalists believe that Trump should pick former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who was an early supporter of the president-elect, while more establishment Republicans support Mitt Romney for the role of Secretary of State.
Well, a new name is now being considered for the role, and it is none other than General David Petraeus, who is well-respected by both Democrats and Republicans.
According to Breitbart, Trump is scheduled to meet with Petraeus on Monday, as the battle between Giuliani and Romney continues to intensify:
Last week, Petraeus appeared willing to serve in the Trump administration during an interview with BBC radio.
“If you’re asked, you’ve got to serve – put aside any reservations based on campaign rhetoric … and figure out what’s best for the country,” he said.
According to Trump transition sources speaking to Bloomberg News, Trump is considering Petraeus as Secretary of State. Trump transition officials confirmed with reporters that the president-elect would meet with Mitt Romney again on Tuesday, as well as Sen. Bob Corker, another rumored candidate for Secretary of State.
While Petraeus successfully led the Iraq War surge under President Bush, he resigned as head of the CIA under Barack Obama after he was caught sharing classified information with his mistress Paula Broadwell.
After resigning from the CIA in 2013 Trump came out in support of Petraeus, urging him to stop apologizing for his indiscretions:
General Petraeus should stop apologizing and get on with his life. He is a good man and should have a great future.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 27, 2013
While Petraeus has a long and distinguished public service career, he was not a Trump loyalist, which could potentially hurt his chances of joining the administration in January.
Who should Trump pick as Secretary of State? Should he go with someone like Romney or Petraeus, or reward Rudy Giuliani for his loyalty? Share your thoughts with us below!