a guy named romney, not mitt but george, the father of mitt romney who had been michigan governor, run against nixon for awhile in the '68 contest. there are plenty of examples. george h.w. bush appointed jack kemp who challenged him for the nomination in 1988. you mention jfk, lbj, how about reagan joining forces with george hw bush after he called reagan's economic program voodoo economics which we all remember from ferris bueller. >> this was the case of a former nominee coming out to say this guy shouldn't even be running, certainly shouldn't be our nominee, certainly shouldn't be our president. it is a little different in that regard, isn't it? >> yeah, okay, you've come up with something that i can't find a parallel for. congratulations, neil. >> i'm curious, though, say it is true and he does join the administration, journalists will keep replaying tapes but you say that has a shelf life of so long, it could go a long way, get easy confirmation, wouldn't be some of the vetting issues that might accompany some others, including rudy giuliani. do you think that's playing the part

you know mitt romney very well. these two men could not have been more different, although they both have business success in common. do you think that he will be the secretary of state in the trump administration? >> i have no idea other than what i read and what i see on your air. all i can say is that if donald trump wants to pick the best people for his cabinet, and it seems like that's what he's doing, his criteria seems to be he's just looking for the best people, mitt romney would be a great choice for that. now, i have no inside knowledge to what anybody is thinking here, i just am reporting on what i know from what i read. mitt romney is a turn-around artist and could obviously do a lot of good at the state department and turn that organization around and be a good secretary of state. but i have no idea what their conversation was like. i have no idea whether or not they could get on the same page in terms of being a voice and a face for donald trump's foreign policy. but, look, it's a good sign that they'r

donald trump has called mitt romney a choke artist. mitt romney has said that donald trump is a phony and a fraud. but the two men met today. what did they say. >> yeah, we're a long way from that. apparently what we saw is what you pointed out. foreign policy is a crucial component of what mitt romney wants to talk about, and it is exactly what they spoke about. what does that mean for perhaps a future cabinet position? that is untold. as they walked out together after an hour and 20-minute meeting, donald trump cupped his hands in front. his face, said it went great. mitt romney said this -- >> we had a -- a far-reaching conversation with regards to the various theaters in the world where there are interests of the united states, of real significance. we discussed those chairs and exchanged our views on those topics. very -- very thorough and in-depth discussion in the time we had. and appreciate the chance to speak with the president-elect. and -- and look forward to the coming administration and the things we'll be doing. thank you

corker and romney will be meeting with trump here tomorrow, we know that romney will get a high profile visit dinner date. this is his second meeting. there's so much contention within trump world right now, whether he should get the post. >> it's either an ambulance, a police siren, construction or something going on near trump tower the in midtown manhattan. power through it, as usual. >> i want to bring in ari fleischer and kirstin powers. douglas brinkley. good evening to all of you. thank you for coming on this evening. mr. fleischer, we're going to start with you. donald trump won the election, yet he is tweeting about voter fraud. tonight he's retweeting supporters who are angry with the media for debunking his false claims. what gives here? >> donald trump is different. i wonder when we're all going to get to the point where we stop measuring donald trump in that which came before him. and start realizing he is cut from a different cloth. he communicates differently, he is much more assertive. he's much more aggressive, assertive, he's a counter puncher. i've always wondered, if

looking at romney. there are a lot of questions whether this is a head fake or trying to send a message to republicans, but mitt romney, also retired lieutenant colonel, and michelle reed devoss. mitt romney, the headline meeting tomorrow. a number of potential cabinet picks will be making a visit to meet with donald trump, don. >> all right, phil, thank you. that him is just new york city. it's like that all the time, not to worry. it's a very busy city on a friday night in front of trump tower. i appreciate that. >>> i want to bring in douglas brinkley, carl bernstein, and senior political analyst, david gerg gergen, an advisor to four presidents. david gergen, flynn, sessions, pompeo, what message is donald trump showing by making three hawks on national security? >> l ffor all those who thought was going to be more moderate, they're very disappointed. for conservatives, this is a moment for cheer. this is what they hoped for. this is what they've longed for, is to have a -- a team that would skocort

trump has not been saying much if anything about mitt romney and romney has not said anything about the man who could soon become his boss when he becomes the leader of the free world since their initial meeting last week. megyn? >> thank you. john george is very fancy. it is true. our next guest warns that a secretary romney would leave mr. trump's supporters feel betrayed, suggesting that president-elect trump should get up every day and begin by looking at his campaign promises. he owes his presidency to the people who believed in him. not for the ones that had contempt for his as a candidate but now adoor him now that he's going to be president. you call this potential appointment of mitt romney as secretary of state a huge mistake and even outrageous. to those who say all right, you know, donald trump knows what he's doing, this could be a counter balance to some of the more, you know, hard liners in the administration he's creating, how do you justify those comments? >> well, first of all, president-elect trump can pick anyone he wants. he's going to be president. if he picks romn

. >>> plus, team trump's very public feud over mitt romney. why donald trump is said to be irritated by former campaign manager kellyanne conway. >>> and why is trump's name suddenly allowed to grace trump towers in istanbul? a special report coming up on his conflicts of interest. stay with us. what if a company that didn't make cars made plastics that make them lighter? the lubricants that improved fuel economy. even technology to make engines more efficient. what company does all this? exxonmobil, that's who. we're working on all these things to make cars better and use less fuel. helping you save money and reduce emissions. and you thought we just made the gas. energy lives here. what ever happened to theo say, "handling"?ing and handling"? i do all the handling. can you handle this laptop before we ship it, nick? there's free shipping, and handling on everything at dell.com. ♪ why pause a spontaneous moment? cialis for daily use treats ed and the urinary symptoms of bph. tell your doctor about your medicines, and ask if your heart is he

just to prove that mitt romney was wrong. if the two of them are able to find a way to work together, that would send a signal that donald trump is willing to work with a lot of people who have criticized him. >> it is an interesting point. i remember on the rosa -- omarosa. [indiscernible] it was not a growing response. it is going to be interesting. the mitt romney thing will be a real test as far as will he be looking bigger? i hope it is not just a beauty pageant. have you heard anything more about the people that have gone against him? >> not yet. the election was a little over a week ago. everybody's feeling each other out. they are looking to see who else gets positions of power. i was at trump tower on tuesday night and ted cruz was there. we chased after him. i mean, donald trump tweeted about the looks of ted cruz's wife, suggesting his dad may have been involved in the assassination of jfk. he made the pilgrimage to trump tower and talked to the president-elect. he would not tell us what they talked about. he would

trump to bring in someone like governor romney. it would send a strong and powerful message to the world. mark: my guess is when we discuss the picks today you are , not going to be big fans. how would you feel? >> i would love to be a fly on the wall for that first meeting in the oval office between the two of them. or when donald trump and mitt romney go back-and-forth about all the terrible things they said about each other a few short months ago. i think that is going to be tough conversation. mark: as an american and concerned about america's future and security, would you welcome mitt romney as secretary of state or not? >> mr. trump would be best served having as many adults in the room as he can get. mitt romney has his own challenges from his past, and his own record that i think would deeply concern a lot of the folks on our side. we will have to see what happens with his nomination and his confirmation. a lot of people are going to have some tough questions. mark: if donald trump said should i take mitt romney what , wou

, you got behind mitt romney in 2012, everybody respect what is mitt romney did in organizing the olympics, as a governor of massachusetts and we're talking to him. everybody else should be willing to come in as well. it's an important olive branch from the trump folks and an important olive branch for mitt romney recognizing this is the president-elect and the man he has to work with and for. >> hopefully bettering america has governor haley been there? >> she was very opposed to him while she was supporting rubio. she did come around. we have sources telling us she is in the running for a spot as high as secretary of state a lot of republican officials are scratching their head but when you talk to trump advisors, the point them to make is we're bringing in talented people that we think can contribute. will she be the secretary of state selection? nobody is saying that, rudy giuliani clearly has the leg up on that but that she's willing to come in and the trump advisors want to bring her and others in the party in is an important moment for a campaign, a transition, that's had difficulty

. >> that was mitt romney during the campaign, but now news breaking that romney could be donald trump's pick for secretary of state. there is a meeting now on the books. we're going to have all the details. this is a breaking story we are following closely. also on the agenda, it is on. for the first time in 14 years as the top democrat in the house, nancy pelosi, now getting a serious challenge. tim ryan from ohio says he is in the race to oppose her. is pelosi in danger of losing her job? >>> finally, making the rounds. >> we're excited about moving the trump agenda forward in the coming congress, and i'm just so grateful. so grateful for the warm hospitality and all of the determination to work with our incoming administration to make america great again. >> that's vice president elect mike pence. he's on capitol hill today. that looks like republicans may be looking to team up with donald trump. what do they have to gain by doing that? we'll look at that and a whole lot more. all the suspense around donald trump's top cabinet appointments. here's what we've learned just today. as we

>> romney most likely choice at-this-point. and senate foreign relations bob corker still in mix for position he met with mr. trump today, ask called it an honor. >> secretary of state, role so important. to a president, he needs to choose someone who is comfortable with, he knows there is no daylight between them and him, world needs to know that secretary of state is someone who speaks fully for the president. and that is a decision he will have to make again. lou: more contendors, initial favorite for post, former new york mayor rudy guliani, he sent more time today with donald trump, here to talk about trump's expanding cabinet. also joining me tonight, former reagan white house placal director ed rollins. ready to crackdown on sanctuary cities from day one. we have a lot to cover here tonight. including worsening crisis of radical islamist in america, islamic state is now claims responsibility for yesterday's attack at ohio state, where a somali refugee ran pedestrian down with a car, then stabbed others with a knife, spea

obviously, we saw mitt romney come in, donald trump come out and meet romney. that's not a small thing. he's not been greeting everyone that met with him the past couple weeks. there's no question romney was opposed to his candidacy. unlike a lot of people in the never trump movement or not really for trump movement, he never came around, didn't change his feelings on that throughout election day. but, there is a recognition here, donald trump is the president-elect. mitt romney interested in governing. willing to come to new york, drive to new jersey and have this meeting here. i think the question, martin, you nailed it, is this real? that's what republicans are asking. is there an opportunity for mitt romney in a donald trump administration? is

luciano, first, this trump/romney meeting now under way, talk to us a little bit about what mitt romney is bringing to the table, particularly during this transition period. >> mitt romney really brings a sense of statesmanship. he brings with him the imprimateur of the republican party. it's a chance to reach out and bring the republican party together before trump gets sworn in on january 20th, as the republicans take over the white house and both houses of congress. >> i mentioned the bad blood between these two. here's what they said about each other earlier in the campaign. okay. it seems we're having a sound bite problem there. i wanted to actually ask you about the relationship between these two. we know that donald trump has said some very disparaging comments about mitt romney, calling him a choke artist at one point, even using derogatory language, saying he was begging for money when romney was running for office. at the same time, romney said to trump that he was a con artist. let's go ahead and play that. >> mr. trump is a con man. a fake. his imagination must not be marrie

if mitt romney is thinking of apologizing, i hope anne romney and his five kids tie him down. if they need help, we know where to reach me. >> i know are you a fan of mitt romney having that job. >> i got to tell you, i'm very good friends with mitt romney with john kelly and i know rudy guiliani, each has a vocation of systems. that inner circle of trump that is engaging in the parlor games against romney is doing him no favor. >> all right. romney and those around him, hearing anna novarro loud and clear, though, jfry, what were you going to say? >> i was going to say the russian involvement goes well beyond what anne is talking about, what about wikileaks and the every day releasing some of john modesta's e-mails and what is the responsibility of us in the news media who reported that day after day without pointing out day after day that it was a russian propaganda effort. >> we did point it out. even then it still is. i felt like we pointed out that even then it's out there and you can't put that back in the bottle. i wonder general hurtling, i agree with you on that thing

romney. mr. trump, though, will make that final decision. >>> let's pivot away from politics and back to iraq, if we can. we were going there and then we jumped over to capitol hill. lucy cavanaugh is with us. you were in iraq. we were talking about mosul and the effort to retake that northern city from isil militants and how that he see driving people, civilians, out of the town and into refugee camps and situations, and you've been visiting one of them. i think it's about 12 miles outside the city of mosul. tell us about your experience. >> reporter: sure, kate, and it's not too far of a pivot, of course. this conflict in iraq is one that the incoming trump administration will inherit, but on the humanitarian scale of the disaster we've seen, it's really hard not to be amazed at the human capacity to suffer unimaginable horrors. i was in iraq when they fell, and about the horrors they experienced during that time, tortures, executions, women told us about female isis brigades that patrolled the

can mitt romney get over that? >> mitt romney is fully capable of being open, forgiveness and reaching out across the aisle. i think the best example of this is that he had a very, very tough race against ted kennedy back in 1994 for senate and yet when mitt romney was in the office of governor, one of his first acts was to reach out to ted kennedy and try to establish a very deep and meaningful relationship with him that eventually led to a joint proposal for health care reform in massachusetts and so i think that there's a lot of evidence that mitt romney finds mending fences, open conversations and reconciliation. >> do you think he wants to put him back to the line of fire? elizabeth warren tweeted mitt romney, when you're meeting with real donald trump, maybe you can bring up your binders full of women with you. and mitt romney during the campaign when he was being asked about the lack of diversity. so elizabeth warren already taking a shot, does mitt romney want to get himself in the mix? and by the way, bind

donald trump also criticized mitt romney when mitt romney was running as well. if you listen to the remarks from just this season in the campaign trail, he was critical of mitt romney as well this season. i want to bring in someone who was a senior advisory on the romney campaign. you know mitt romney very well. these two men could in the have been more different. they both have business success in common. do you think he will be the secretary of state in the trump administration? >> i have no idea other than what i read and what i see on your air. all i can say is that if donald trump wants to pick the best people for his cabinet, and it seems like that's what he's doing, his criteria seems to be he's just looking for the best people, mitt romney would be a great choice. i have no inside knowledge to what anybody is thinking. i'm just reporting on what i know from what i read. but mitt romney is a turn around artist. he could do a lot of good at the state department and turn that organization around and be a good secretary of state. i have no idea if they can g

that's what romney will do to trump. he'll feed him all that trump wants to hear based on his record. he's study right now, what will fluff this guy. doesn't trump know that he's being fluffed? >> i don't think so. and i don't know that he necessarily is. >> trump this is he's the fluffer. >> two words, "muslim ban." i don't know how romney gets past that. i don't know how trump gets past that. even though now it's extreme vetting from muslim countries, everybody knows what it is. if trump is still determined to do that, i don't see how mitt romney -- >> morally. >> -- morally, as a mormon, as a religious minority, who has very strong feelings and principles about religious freedom, i don't see how he goes for it. >> maybe that's what the dinner's about. >> maybe it is. >> chris, the fact that romney's going back. the fact that he's meeting him tomorrow afternoon and then they're going to have dinner, they've got to be talking about something. these are both business guys. this is bain capital first the trump organizatio

and mitt romney is a big boy. if he didn't want to go he didn't have to go. >> it also adds to the drama and adds to the conversation, and donald trump loves that. likes that. that is something -- >> yeah. >> we should also point out a few moments ago gloria, carrier, a big air-conditioning manufacturer, sent a tweet and i want to read it. it says, "we are pleased to have reached a deal with president-elect trump and vice president-elect pence to keep close to 1,000 jobs in indy. more details soon." that decision, they had a decision to move jobs to mexico. it was a big talking point for donald trump on the campaign trail. he was very critical of it. this is obviously something which they were negotiating and it's a big win for him no matter how you slice it. >> sure. and we don't know the details of the deal or the conversations. but i would have to guess that what donald trump and mike pence were talking about is easing regulations, changing up the tax code to make it more beneficial for carrier to keep its plan

will romney be america's next top diplomat. and trump's twitter tired claiming wide spread voter fraud. >>> and the tennessee's deadly wild fires. we're live at the scene. let's go "outfront." good evening everyone. i'm kate baldwin. out front tonight. breaking news. donald trump and mitt romney. who gets the nod remains open. but tonight's dinner, their second meeting in the last two weeks should go a long way to answering that question, we think. also breaking one official telling cnn trump is tapping his campaign finance chairman, form form former goldman sachs partner. and trump turned to former secretary of labor elaine choi to be his secretary of transportation. >> it is still the most high profile cabinet post, that of secretary of state, which tonight is still very much on open question. tonight donald trump is taking major steps to fill out his cabinet. >> we want to be in a position where in the first hundred days we can execute the economic plan. >> the president elect having form former goldman sachs partner steve m

i like the fact that he met with romney. i know romney. he's a reasonable guy. i don't know if he's the guy for secretary of state. but i think what you want to do, what you want to see is give them a chance to breathe. it's only the second week. let's see who he really appoints in these key positions. >> governor bill richardson, thank you for joining me on these important issues. we appreciate it. >>> coming up, trump tower is about to become, well, certainly it's got a lot more police around it. take a look at the intense security that is going on all around trump tower in the middle of manhattan. we'll dive into what it means for the millions who live in this city. [vo] quickbooks introduces jeanette. and her new business: i do, to go. jeanette was excellent at marrying people. but had trouble getting paid. not a good time, jeanette. even worse. now i'm uncomfortable. but here's the good news, jeanette got quickbooks. send that invoice, jeanette. looks like they viewed it. and, ta-da! paid twice as fast. oh, she's an efficient officiant. way to grow, jeanett

yet donald trump willing to meet with mitt romney, mitt romney willing to come to new jersey to meet with donald trump. and donald trump and mike pence willing to come out and greet mitt romney as you're looking at it now as he arrived here. they haven't done that at trump tower for any other candidates or advisers and haven't done that for the individuals supposed to be meeting with donald trump after mitt romney today that have arrived since. so a level of respect, a level of deference, if you will, for the 2012 nominee. again, the big question, as you laid out -- why is he here? is he here to provide advice? is he here to give counsel? or is he here for a potential administration job? transition advisers say they're absolutely considering him for a place in government. the big question now is, is there a right snit as you note, potentially for secretary of state and, perhaps more importantly, is this a job or an stimulation that mitt romney would want to be a part of -- or a situation that mitt romney would want to be a part of it? >> i can't tell if this is atmospherics and i'm r

are we on romney? >> i don't know, maybe a four or five. it doesn't seem pretty firm, yet, but there certainly is a possibility that something could happen. my understanding of this meeting tomorrow is that it's a more general conversation. trump reached out, wanted to hear from romney, wanted his advice on the transition to power. certainly, they're going to discuss the position of secretary of state, but this should not be seen as a job interview kind of meeting. it's a broader discussion, sort of a peace accord, if you will, and we'll see if trump actually decides to even offer him the job or if so, if romney would even be willing to do it. >> you covered romney. i'm sure you did not cover our new national security adviser. how do you imagine a temperament like romney, ostensibly, i'm not saying, reporting into, but the nsa is kind of the quarterback of the whole team, how do you see those two personas work together? >> not particularly well. i think they have very different approaches into how to b

donald trump sat down to dinner with mitt romney. trump brought a wing man, his chief of staff reince priebus. no word is where romney now stands in the overall selection process for secretary of state. after the meal, mitt romney you can think it, we'll go ahead changed. i had a wonderful evening with president-elect trump. we had another discussion about and these discussions i've had with him have been enlightening and interesting and engaging. i've enjoyed them very, very much. i was also very impressed by the remarks he made on his victory winning. and was unsuccessful in accomplishing. and he continues with a message of inclusion and bringing people something the last few weeks he's been carrying out a transition effort, and i have to tell you, i've been impressed by what i've seen in the transition effort. members of his cabinet are solid and effective, capable people. some of them i know very well. nikki hailey and i go way back. leader. tom price is actually someone that came to my office before he ran for senate and we spen

let me turn to mitt romney. lee, it's got newt gingrich's goat, as i look at my twitter account. [ laughter ] >> it's exercised a lot of people and understandable, but at the same time, mitt romney apparently hasn't been offered the job and apparently hasn't accepted. >> that's right. lou: and i say apparently because i don't have inside information. >> that's right. we don't know what's going to happen. we know donald trump has made himself available to have conversations with people who have been critical of him. i think what he's saying is i'm going to look for the right person at the right time for the right job and we're going to bring this country together again. if somebody disagrees and they have great ideas, i'm going bring them to the table. whether or not mitt romney gets the offer, i think it's fantastic that he has conversations with people he has disagreements with and not holding grudges. lou: it's clear, charlie, he looks ever the larger person for having had the conversation, if not make the off

i want mitt romney to do what mitt romney thinks is best. i think that, you know, he's going to talk with president-elect trump, and they'll make a decision on whether or not there is a path forward here. i agree with nicolle. i think what happened on "meet the press" with kellyanne conway was completely undignified and not the way governor romney would handle things on his team. >> retweeting an attack on jeff zelany, formerly of cnn, and on and on. is this upsetting and only reachable by people in the north track? >> i think being a sore winner is weird, and anyone with a child that supported trump -- i know a lot of people that supported trump, there are lots of happy people within my personal orbit, don't think it's polite to gloat in life or politics is not attractive. he can do anything including and up to shooting someone on fifth avenue. we know hallie will be there to cover it and see it because she's been standing there since this morning. but i think his behavior only trips him up in terms of all this swagger that he has. if repub

we could see a mitt romney possibly. i don't predict that, but it's within the realm of possibility. it's very early to say this, but, look, mike flynn served in the military for 30 years, headed the dia, three-star general, i do worry about his political judgment and some of the things that he has said, but if you put that in the context of this whole career and the knowledge he has about, you know, about military issues, i think you've got -- this is a respectable, decent pick. >> but islam is a politica ideology hiding as a religion? >> that's a problematic thing to say. he needs to say -- >> problematic? >> it's problematic. >> it's more than problematic. >> you can talk about islamism and radical islamism, but to attack an entire religion like that -- >> -- it's not a decent appointment. and that is, donald trump and one of the best things he said, he was going to be the president who drained the swamp. it's not draining the swamp when your national security adviser has been paid by the russians to come to dinner. w

romney called him a fraud and phony. he is paying a visit >> he's paying a visit to donald trump this weekend. it's stoked by all sides involved and the media as well they could discuss the possibility of romney serving as secretary of state. cnn has the trump transition covered from every possible angle including a head on camera from outside trump tower. >> reporter: good morning. president-elect donald trump calling for a two hour meeting today here with his entire transition team here at trump tower where he'll likely be reviewing some of his top choices, john, for some of these key cabinet posts. trump making his first big move, his first big staff move already which is causing some controversy. president-elect donald trump offering lieutenant general michael flynn the role of national security adviser, according to a transition official. >> we must regain our ability to truly crush our enemies. >> reporter: trump's choice is already making waves. flynn the former director of the defense intelligence agency has a lo

david portreus and mitt romney coming back tomorrow. at the end of the day, the trump administration is starting to fill out ahead of schedule and the big positions of defense and treasury, homeland security and state still obviously have yet to be filled. jon: it's just not just kellyanne conway, newt gringrich who has been, you know, very tight with donald trump but big supporter throughout election campaign over the weekend said he thought a romney choice would be disappointing, so, again, another high-profile well-known adviser saying don't pick mitt romney for the job. >> yeah, well, i will just say there's the sentiment because of all of the things romney said during the campaign. but remember donald trump knows how to orchestrate things for the most attention and knows how to really talk to the media about things and don't be surprised if this is a reveal of something else. i think you have to watch this closely. i don't think kellyanne conway is ahead of her boss that much. jon: we will look more on special report tonight. bret

romney meeting. a source tells cnn mitt romney and donald trump will meet this weekend to discuss possibly serving in the trump cabinet. romney, who refused to endorse trump, and once called him a fraud, is he really willing to serve in the trump administration? >>> muslim registry. would they consider forcing muslims entering the united states to register in a database. tonight muslim-americans and civil rights group are worried about a possible new wave of discrimination. nuclear options, as trump prepares for his first post election meeting with a world leader is he pushing other countries building their own nuclear arsenals? >>> i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." >> announcer: this is cnn breaking news. >>> we're following breaking news this hour. donald trump holds his first meeting since the election with the leader of another country. japan's prime minister is coming to trump tower in new york, saying he wants to build trust with the president-elect. during the campaign, trump c

. >> romney let us all down. he was a very poor campaigner. mitt is a failed candidate, he failed. romney choked like a dog. he choked. he went -- he was begging for my endorsement. i could have said, mitt, drop to your knees. he would have dropped to his knees. poor mitt romney is sad. he's going around oh, oh, he's a sad case. i have a lot of friends -- by the way, mitt romney is not one of them. >> you know, you've been mitt romney's political opponents say he's a principled man. would mitt romney, who has questions about donald trump's quoting here again, character and integrity, why would he want to work for a man who had those things to say about him? >> those were not nice things, there's no doubt about it. but look, i think, first of all, governor romney has thick skin. he's been through the political battles before and understands. but ultimately i think the one thing that defines governor romney perhaps more than anything else is that he is a patriot fundamentally. i know him well enough to know that it

we have to talk about mitt romney. i want to share, in case people are forgetting, what mitt romney said not long ago about donald trump. take a listen. >> his foreign policies would make america and the world less safe. he has neither the temperament or the judgment to be president, and his personal qualities would mean that america would cease to be a signing city on a hill. >> he's got personal qualities that you shouldn't like. he's unqualified for the job, but maybe i'll be his secretary of state. is that what we're facing here? >> kasie and i, i believe, were at the same conference a few years ago when romney went to park city, utah, to outline his view of the world. secretary of state is something he would like to do at this point in his life, but there's a concern that mane not really a concern, a sense that trump maybe not offer the position, that this meeting is more about making peace. the one thing about romney and just the discussion of it, a signal to the republican establishment and trump critics that th

i applaud mitt romney for going. i'm not a mitt romney fan and haven't been one for a long time but i applaud him putting his country first and going to talk to president-elect trump. >> bakari, you from south carolina i wanted to talk to you, you know governor haley personally, you witnessed how tremendous she was in the wake of the church shooting in charleston but in the bipartisan effort to remove the confederate flag from the state capital. but as far as foreign policy experience, we're talking secretary of state, tell me what you think of her and if you think she would be up for the job. >> well, i can say that eight years ago i was sitting at a desk that was side by side with nikki haley in the south carolina general assembly and we were working on issues that were very near and dear to our heart, although they weren't the magnitude of issues you'll be dealing with as secretary of state. so i think experience is a legitimate concern that people would have. but what we've seen from trump's transition team is th

some warn about romney as secretary of state. >> there is only one way that mitt romney can be considered for a post like that and that is that he repudiates everything he said in that famous salt lake city speech. >> mr. priebus, does mr. trump consider that appropriate for top advisers to lobby him in public about people he's choosing? is that the white house you're going to run and that romney must apologize to get the job? >> let me cap this up for you. there are a lot of opinions as far as this topic and many other cabinet positions, but i think what president-elect trump has said is that, as he said the entire campaign, he's going to hire the best people possible. he's going through this process, he's interviewed governor romney, he's talked to the mayor, he's talked to others like general kelly. he's going to be talking to others next week. he's going to make the best decision for the american people. it's not about warfare. there is an opinion about this and it is sort of a team of rivals context if he does go with governor romney, but that should tell americans where president-el

romney would have gotten on his knees. why would he want to potentially come and have this man work for him and be the spokesman to the world? >> well, i think part of it is the incredible capacity of politics to forgive and forget. but i think the other part is that he can learn something from mitt romney and vice versa. i think mitt romney was speaking with a little bit too much hyperbole. i think at the same time there's great value in mitt romney as a successful businessman, as a governor, as a leader of the man who actually saved the olympics one year. i think he is the kind of guy that donald trump is not intimidated by but rather respects and says, okay, what can you contribute? what do you have to offer for the american people for our vision of making america great again? and we're seeing that a lot with some of the other people who have been to trump tower this week. he is not afraid to listen. as i think as the weeks go on, you'll see more diversity of opinion. >> speaking of diversity of opinion, donald trump in

i'm going to talk about mitt romney. mitt romney is coming the meet with him. he has a meeting -- he met with nikki haley. do you think these are head fakes or he is considering in. >> i would rather see rudy giuliani in place of secretary of state than mitt romney. i trust donald trump to make the right decision. i wouldn't mind nikki haley but i want someone strong on the world stage. >> there's a lot of sighs. do you agree with that? >> i don't think it is going to be mitt romney. >> no. >> but i would not be upset if it were. >> mitt romney is a great and decent man. too bad he didn't win in 2012, but he would be kraers to serve under donald trump. >> up next, donald trump chooses jeff sessions. there are cheers and denunciations for the decision. plus muslims and african-americans expressing fear for what the future may hold for their communities under president trump. ♪ ♪ sing girl, come on. ♪[ singing ]♪ sorry, ariana you gotta go. seriously? verizon limits me and i gotta get home. you're gonna choose navigation over me? maps get up here. umm...

can you read the mitt romney tea leaves right now? >> nothing more than governor romney enjoys spending time with his family -- >> while all this is happening? >> it's thanksgiving so obviously he's with his family. he wasn't paying attention probably to what was going on, the back and forth. i think he was focused on his family. look, i give donald trump a lot of credit for even considering mitt romney this position. it shows he's willing to go beyond his core group of advisers and look for the best and brightest elsewhere. there isn't a litmus test to serve in this administration. even if this doesn't pan out, i think donald trump deserves a great deal of credit for even considering governor romney for this position. >> one more and then we'll move on. we know governor romney will be at trump tower tomorrow. if only we could be in the room, but who do you think is pitching whom? >> oh, i don't know. i'm not going to speculate. i do think that donald trump is just sounding him out to see if he's someone who he would be comfortable wi

mitt romney sought that endorsement in vegas when it happened. ann romney was there. everyone was gracious and got along. ask and then in the 2016 election, he was one of the loudest critics, called him a fraud and char less than ton and donald trump called him a stone called loser, said he would have gone on his knees for his endorsement. so i cannot even imagine the conversation they're having today. but mitt romney did, after donald trump won the presidency, mitt romney did call him to congratulate him. and i think we have seen a number of republicans who criticized donald trump throughout the campaign who have said, okay, he has won, he is our president-elect. we have to do everything we can to help him be successful. >> and molly, what's your take on this meeting with romney? >> it sort of harkens back to 2008 when we had that bruising democratic primary between one barack obama and one hillary clinton. and all of a sudden, she becomes his secretary of state. and that was nasty. they were fighting against each other, and saying horrible things about each other. p

let's talk about mitt romney. this was a fascinating dinner with pass naturesing comment after jean-georges. let's play the sound for mitt romney talking about after this meal. >> i happen to think that america's best days are ahead of us. i think you're going to see america continuing to lead the world in this century. and what i've seen through these discussions i've had with president-elect trump, as well as what i've seen in his speech the night of his victory, as well as the people he selected as part of his transition. all of those things combined give me increasing hope that president-elect trump is the very man who can lead us to that better future. thank you. >> the very man, lead us to that better future. he called donald trump a winner. now mitt romney didn't apologize, but that's a gushing phrase from the republican nominee. >> yeah, in some ways we're seeing sort of a delayed version of what everyone typically expects in the general election. but, you know, republicans are realizing they control washi

romney and he's having other people come out and talk about what a horrible human being mitt romney was to the president-elect and the president-elect knows he won't choose romney but romney is jumping through hoops to get the job. others like rudy giuliani aren't acceptable. i don't think mitt romney will get the jo. i hope i'm wrong. >> it's the art of war lately. >> interesting theory but is he jumping through hoops? romney went in, took a meeting. >> he hasn't said anything. i don't think he should apologi apologize. he probably thought this is why i'm willing to work with him now. >> if he takes a job the first will be to set a confirmation hearing. governor romney, why did you think donald trump was unfit to be president of the united states and the horrible names you called him he has to say something that sounds like an apology. what has changed? why go to bed minister and shake the hand to try to interview with a man who's unqualified to be commander in chief. >> what's the answer? >> easy. if romney was himself and said this is what i think -- well, i don't know. i haven't

he met with romney. liked him a lot and liked him more than he expected to and suddenly the secretary of state thing started snowballing and they started getting a lot of applause from republicans in washington and even some democrats saying, yeah, that's a really good idea. this thing took on a life of its own faster than people around trump expected it to. >> what you've seen with this hiring process is that actually trump has talked to a wide range of republicans and even a couple of democrats. i think that some people made the assumption he will only talk to people in his small inner circle of the nationalist part of the republican party and he it's good pr for him and his administration that make republicans who were skeptical of him feel good and come onboard. it is not surprising these are the people he interviewed. reince priebus has a prominent position. so, i think that trump is trying about who he talks to. at the end of the day it's about the decisions he makes. it's not entirely shocking tha

i think governor romney can do it. but the entire republican establishment from what i read and what i see is for that. and as a strong supporter of israel, someone who worked for three prime ministers, i heartily endorsed this and think this is a very important step to change american attitudes, policies and direction. >> yes. the state department needs to be shaken up just as the diplomacy does on the world stage. all right, guys, thank you so much. >>> coming up, mainstream press continues to launch attacks against president-elect donald trump. it has only just begun. we will show you the latest example. >>> and later, after the outrage of fake news on social media, liberal journalists are pushing a questionable story that claims voting machines may have been hacked and that hillary clinton may have won the election. yes, have you that right. we will have reaction to all that and more as "hannity" continues. hacked and that hillary clinton may have won the election. yes, have you hey, need fast heartburn relief? try

mitt romney went far than she did. they are ravelled by the critique of white nationalists being associates of the campaign. >> possibly ben carson and we have a woman. >> there is a little bit of that. but, there is also an astonishing lack of performance. it is staggering that somebody who turned down syrian refugees in south carolina is collaborating and representing us with the body that's so important of refugees where ever we think they may belong. there is a lot of ignorance here. >> when you look at nikki haley and the things they have said and especially in the case of mitt romney. he was saying donald trump was fundamentally untrust worthy and qualified. is that durable having somebody like that be your secretary of state. >> he's not king and he understands that he needs to work with other people to get things done. i think that's why we have seen him tone down his rhetoric to bring his opponents into the fold and we see him reaching out and people who have not exactly been his biggest supporter. he's not a

romney's book was called no apology. do you think mitt romney looking over the campaign and being where he is right now may be having a shot at secretary of state? is it something in private? you know his character. is that something he would be willing to do to apologize to donald trump? >> he would be willing to have a candid discussion about any questions that donald trump wanted to raise with him. mitt romney is a very intelligent, open person who is willing to discuss any issue with anyone. has a flute view of policy and the way life ought to be conducted. i said i think this will be a candid discussion between them. >> what's your gut tell you? is this going to happen in the end some. >> i think that the decisions of who you pick are always so idiosin kratic, whatever my gut is saying it's probably not right. >> thanks for joining us. >> thanks, steve. >> over to the breaking news in tennessee. over 200 firefighters battling wildfires that are burning out of control in the popular mountain resort area of gatlinburg

called romney a loser and a choker. cnn's jason carroll is live outside mar-a-lago in palm beach, florida. what are you learning? >> reporter: well, they just wrapped up a 10:30 a.m. transition call meeting where we have more information about who donald trump and mike pence will be meeting with on monday. these are cabinet level posts. they are going to be meeting with eight people. some of the names on that list, paul akens, former commissioner of the s.e.c., scott pruitt, attorney general of oklahoma. one of the names that really jumps out at me is sheriff david clark. that name may ring a bell to a number of people. he's african-american, the milwaukee county sheriff, outspoken supporter of donald trump early on, outspoken critic of the black lives matter movement. he's been rumored to be sort of one of those people up for perhaps secretary of homeland security but definitely a fiery figure, controversial figure. he apparently will be meeting with donald trump, the president-elect, and the vice president-elect on mo

steve, let me ask you more on romney. kellyanne conway makes it clear that she is making attacks for those who don't want him. mike huckabee, the former governor of arkansas. what is it that really bugs people about romney? >> chris, i'll tell you, those of us who are in politics, no matter where you fall in partisan terms, we love palace intrigue, don't we? it's fascinating. i would say regarding palaces, the european royal families intermarried a heck of a lot. i'm not sure it was about love, it was often for political convenience. that might be part of what's going on here with this dance for mitt romney. but i will tell you and i will echo to some extent what kellyanne conway said. when i look at my social media world and i talk to people, there is almost a visceral revolt against romney among trump supporters. i will say personally he made my life difficult who came on air to promote the candidacy of donald trump, he was a thorn this our side. i would say to the comrades in our movement, trust in our guy, donald trum