Mitt Romney Almost Served as Donald Trump's Secretary of State, New Book Claims

In a new biography titled Romney: A Reckoning, Utah Senator Mitt Romney reflects on his humiliating experience of entertaining the idea of serving Donald Trump as Secretary of State.

Written by McKay Coppins, the biography provides insights into Romney's motivations and sheds light on the events that transpired during Trump's transition into the presidency.

During the 2016 presidential election, Romney publicly criticized Trump, denouncing him as a fraud and a phony. However, despite their differences, Trump dangled the most senior cabinet role in front of Romney.

While Romney acknowledged that he had a mix of noble motivations and self-centered ones, his ultimate decision to entertain Trump's offer stemmed from his desire to be involved and have something important to do.

According to Coppins, Vice President-elect Mike Pence called Utah politician with the offer of being the President-elect's Secretary of State. After initial hesitation, Romney expressed his willingness to meet with Trump.

The meeting between Romney and Trump at the former president's golf club in New Jersey provided the first taste of the media scrutiny that was to come. Cameras captured Romney entering and leaving the club, subjecting him to intense public attention.

Inside, the Utah senator laid out four conditions for accepting the job: a standing weekly meeting with the president, control of all foreign policy decisions, the ability to select his own deputies and veto power over ambassadorial appointments.

He expressed concern about overseeing a diplomatic corps tainted by individuals like Paul Manafort and Roger Stone, who were later convicted in connection with their work for Trump.

According to Coppins, Trump raised no objections to Romney's conditions, dismissing his aides and expressing his belief that Romney was the perfect fit for the role.

However, Pence advised Romney to publicly retract his earlier criticisms of Trump. Coppins described how the 76-year-old found the request preposterous and pointed out the potential backlash he would face if he reversed his stance after just a one-hour meeting.

In retrospect, Romney realized that Trump did not care about the sincerity of the retraction but instead, wanted a show of subjugation.

Romney, not expecting to receive further communication from Trump, fielded press questions and left. However, prominent figures including Hillary Clinton, Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powell, and former President George W. Bush urged him to stay in the running.

Responding to their advice, Romney reluctantly attended a dinner at Trump Tower in New York, which Coppins described as friendly but insubstantial due to the presence of other guests.

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