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

he hasn't picked mitt romney to be secretary of state. he hasn't picked people who are in any way, shape, or form moderates or consensus builders. mike pompeo is a smart guy but he is an extremely conservative person. he dissented from the benghazi committee report, the republicans' conclusions were not good enough for him, that's who he is. this is a definitional moment for this new president. my concern is less for who his advisers are than for who he is. the only thing his picks are telling us is who he is and who he will be as president. so far it's pretty grim. >> you brought up steve bannon, chief strategist, somebody who has received a lot of criticism, being described as a white nationalist by some and an antisemite by others. you are also a member of the 178 members of congress who wrote a letter of congress asking president-elect obama to take back the appointment of bannon. >> you said president-elect obama. >> i meant trump, i apologize. >> this is a clear, demonstrable set of views this person has, because he has been running

that mitt romney. the big question is, is he apparently now being considered for secretary of state. is he interested. in a moment, what trump adviser kelly ann conway has to say about that and a string of other developments today. but first, phil mattingly with the latest. you've been talking about trump sources and republicans outside the trump circle. how real is this potential alliance between the president-elect and mitt romney? >> yeah, anderson, that exact question is the exact question some iteration of it at least from top mitt romney allies. the reality of what we know is this. they will meet. mark preston broke the story. this is a very important meeting for one primary reason. it sends a signal. i think that more than anything else is what republicans outside the trump orbit are taking from this. obviously mitt romney never came around to donald trump and didn't mince words about the fact. the fact that donald trump would be willing to meet with mitt romney, that mitt romney would be willin

just to prove that mitt romney was wrong.o 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 not expla

a guy named romney, not mitt but george, the father of mitt romney who had been michigan governor, runile 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 here? >> well, it migh

mitt romney. donald trump going to dinner. the last time that we know of that donald trump dined with a potential candidate of any time, that person became his vice president. does that mean --? how serious this? >> breaking bread. one is after they had that dinner there was that time that donald trump seemed to be going back on his decision with mike pence and seriously considering chris christie. but i think we're in a different world right now. and i do think for all the criticismly heap upon donald trump for the donald trump for the things he's said and donand. he also has three women of color in his cabinet and i don't think enough as been made about that but that's been his fault because he's decided to sidetrack the conversation with all of these other things. >> i find it fascinating that donald trump is bringing melania and mitt romney is bringing anne to the dinner. and i'm not trying to be cute. i wonder if that increases the significance of this dinner. you wouldn't want to waste your wife's time if you didn't thin

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

with mitt romney they consistently go back to the 2012 campaign and that mitt romney was relentlessly mocked. they also talk about mitt romney's comment about the middle east and a potential for a force like isis to be created. they say repeatedly he was a right in 2012 and people should pay aattention to that. but on the issue of russia, i do think it is an important point to make. donald trump and mitt romney appear to diverge on toughness on russia. we'll have to see what donald trump says going forward but throughout the course of the campaign he's been dogged by the fact. and never really backed off that fact. in fact says consistently he wants an open relationship with russia. a restart if you will. that is not the position of the mitt romney. >> a short time ago i spoke about the romney factor with the kellyanne conway. so let's talk about the transition. cnn reporting now that mitt romney is going to be meeting with president elect trump this weekend and possibility of a possible role of secretary of state. is there any truth that that? >> there is truth to the fact that gover

with mitt romney, it was 68thing, it could peel paint. do you look at that, as a loyalist, what is your opinion? i could hear it would be disappointing? >> well, i refer to governor romney time and again as a loser, somebody that rose to be our nominee who then walked away from the republican party. i thought this was disgraceful. and i called it out as such. but at this point in time, all of us want what's best for america to make america one, put america first and as an individual, president-elect trump believes that mitt romney can give him the best individual in that, i will respect that. and we'll move on, clearly, for a lot of us that were in the firefight to have to stand up against both the bushes and romney, it's not easy but again, this is donald trump's decision. i respect that, it should tell america a lot he is considering this. certainly the liberal press as well. call this unexpected. that's not a bad thing. >> rudy guiliani is someone also in your camp that just fought tooth and nail for donald trump, clearly wants to be s

but about mitt romney. while he is just the latest name being floated out as a potential for the job of secretary of state, just the mention of it today was a stunner considering the history of these two men -- romney and trump. >> mitt is tough, he's smart, he's sharp, he's not going to allow bad things to continue to happen to this country that we all love. >> donald trump has shown an extraordinary ability to understand how our economy works, to create jobs for the american people. >> i am officially running -- [ cheers and applause ] -- for president of the united states. country great again. >> think of donald trump's personal qualities. the bullying, the greed, the showing off, the misogyny, the absurd third grade theatrics. donald trump is a phony, a fraud. his promises are as worthless as a degree from trump university. >> i backed mitt romney, i backed him. you can see how loyal he "mitt, your knees, he would have dropped to his knees. he choked, you know what a choke artist is? >> nice to see ever

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

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

do you think mitt romney would be a good pick?ere's a lot of people i would pick over him. maybe john bolton, former ambassador to the u.n., someone with extensive foreign policy. i know rudy giuliani has been tossed around. i don't know if he wants the job but he's got significant foreign policy with his companies consulting overseas. i just don't know if mitt romney can cut the mustard. >> a lot of people i would pick before him. that's the type of language we heard from former speaker of the house newt gingrich. mike huckabee also weighed in. >> i will support whoever president-elect trump picks because he has the right i think as the new president to build the team he wants to build. but i would suggest there are a lot of other people who are more qualified than romney in foreign policy and who are also, have not been as actively hostile as he's been. >> it's not about that i don't care for mitt personally. i'm still very unhappy that mitt did everything he could to derail donald trump. he didn't just go after him from the sta

here's what trump has been saying about mitt romney. >> this poor mitt romney is sad, he's going around saying, ah, ah, ah. he's a sad case. he choked. you know what a choke artist is, right? you know what a choke artist is? you know when the guy misses the kick, you get rid of him. picking up for kyle. here you go. you wouldn't put up with part of a pizza. um. something wrong? so when it comes to pain relievers, why put up with just part of a day? you want the whole thing? yes, yes! live whole. not part. aleve. >>> time for our most important number of the day. it's 91, 91 as in what? look at this. we looked at this, or we didn't look at it, the wall street journal took a poll on this, but 91% of hillary clinton supporters, they said most of their friends were also hillary clinton voters. no real surprise there, but look at the flip side of this. bakely two-thirds of clinton voters, 65%, said most or all of their friends didn't vote for donald trump. they had very few friends who went for trump. and it was the same thing on the other side. look at this, 85% of trump voters said most or

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

trump wants to humiliate mitt romney.as easy to figure out. >> she has no incentive but to please him. >>> donald trump's latest twitter tirade. he won the election, why is he tweeting that millions voted illegally? [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, jeanette. get paid twice as fast. visit quickbooks-dot-com. thope to see you again soon.. whoa, whoa, i got this. just gotta get the check. almost there. i can't reach it. if you have alligator arms, you avoid picking up the check. what? it's what you do. i got this. thanks, dennis! if you want to save fifteen percent or more on car insurance, you switch to geico. growwwlph. it's what you do. oh that is good crispy duck. (la

mitt romney wanted donald trump's endorsement so badly he could have said get on your knees and mittney 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 di

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

romney than on mitt romney.e is having a nice and doesn't need to be part of this administration. the secretary of state position is highly influential and a key position to be taking. donald trump needs mitt romney more than mitt romney needs donald trump. >> do you think he recognizes that and would he be able to adapt? >> i'm pretty sure he gets that he has holes he needs to fill and mitt romney can hch, but the donald trump we saw is this back and forth between him and romney on the campaign trail. i have a hard time believing that trump would set that aside and put romney in charge of one of the most important aspects. he operates on loyalty and i get why romney would want to do this including he is concerned about president trump, but donald trump will make the calculation this this moment to the point that you made because that is not how he made any decisions. >> he is back to calling the clintons good people. i want to talk about the piece of news, the $25 million settlement that the neark attorney gene

or saying about mitt romney? >> what is the transition saying about mitt romney right now? >> yes. >> you are hearing a big split, anderson. and there are people who describe the transition who will tell you that selecting mitt romney as the next secretary of state makes a lot of sense because that will show the country that donald trump is cape only capable of getting over grievances and uniting the country. that is what's so tantalizing of making him secretary of state. you have people like kellyanne conway and newt gingrich and lots of others inside trump world who don't like the thought of him becoming secretary of state because of all the horrible things that were said about him. i can tell you that the -- [indiscernible] bringing in a small pool of reporters and photographers. so hopefully, maybe our presence here helped open things up for this dinner anderson. but it is amazing to see. you know there was that dinner the other night when the family went out and didn't tell the pool about it. that is not the case tonight. the pool was informed and now there is a small

mitt romney arrived moments ago. happening at trump's weekend home in bedminster, new jersey, where this and several other meetings will take place today. >>> president-elect trump and vice president mike pence got there about an hour ago. >>> let's bring in nbc's kelly o'donnell there in bedminster, new jersey, where this meeting is getting under way. how likely is it a cabinet announcement will materialize from this meeting? >> reporter: well, we don't expect that it's going to go that far. this is a chance for mitt romney, who was an outspoken critic of donald trump during this campaign and had previously expected donald trump's endorsement when romney was himself the gop nominee back in 2012. this was a chance to try to put behind them some of the rancor of the campaign. romney was a critic, and certainly donald trump used some very sharp language against romney, repeatedly during the campaign season. that chapter is behind them. and so we just watched a couple minutes ago vehicle pulled up, governor romney got o

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

i don't remember mitt romney reacting to it. >> mitt romney's big speech was in march, when he hopedeny donald trump the nomination. he's made clear he wasn't voting for donald trump. if that's a disqualifier, it can be a disqualifier. i think he would show a certain magnanimity -- and probably all of his white house will be filled with loyalists. >> we'll be right back. night woonltsd be a bad thing to pick someone who wasn't simply a loyalist. on your devices, data-free. switch to directv and lock in your price for 2 years. woonltsd be a bad thing to pick someone who wasn't simply a loyalist. uwoonltsd be g to pick someone who wasn't simply a loyalist. lwoonltsd be thing to pick someone who wasn't simply a loyalist. dnwoonltsd be thing to pick someone who wasn't simply a loyalist. 'woonltsd be thing to pick someone who wasn't simply a loyalist. twoonltsd be thing to pick someone who wasn't simply a loyalist. be a bad thio pick someone who wasn't simply a loyalist. t m bill cr krg k . . . . . i'm not a customer, but i'm calling about that credit scorecard. give it. sure! it's free f

i'm going to talk about mitt romney. mitt romney is coming the meet with him. 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... that way. girl! you better g

than mitt romney when they ran against him. do the anti-mitt romney forces have his ear? >> i think gingrich probably has his tear some extent. he was an early adopter that got on the train early. these are loyalists and these are not. one thing i think we have to an appeal, not just to the gop establishment but to the donor class. huge rolodex. devos is a major donor. anthony on the transition committee. will fund rnc and possibly a trump reelection in 2020. >> well, both were fierce critics of donald trump during campaign. >> mr. trump's bombast is already fueling our allies. he creates scape goats of mexican immigrants. he calls for killing the innocent children and family members of terrorists. this is the very brand of anger that has led other nations into the abyss. donald trump is a phony, a fraud. his promises are as worthless as a degree from trump university. >> and nikki haley delivered the state of the union speech. >> we must resist that temptation. >> you were talking about those loudest voices, the angriest voices. referring to donald trump, correct? yes. m

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

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. >> 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 republicans start to complain about it, and it would start privately and

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

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 spoke with reporters, and before you can think it, we'll go ahead and say it, things sure have changed. >> like old times. i had a wonderful evening with president-elect trump. we had another discussion about affairs throughout the world, 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 night. by the way, it's not easy winning. i know that myself. he did something i tried to do and was unsuccessful in accomplishing. he won the general election. and he continues with a message of inclusion and bringing people together, and his vision is something which obviously connected with the american people in a very powerful way. the last few weeks he's been carrying out a tran

mitt romney interested in governing.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

. >> well, mitt romney called donald trump a phony and a fraud and now mitt romney has been called to trump tower to meet with the man himself about the possibility of him being his secretary of state, because if you're trying to choose a cabinet from republicans who haven't called donald trump a phony and a fraud, there just aren't enough people. >> i see from the level of my xanax bottle, it's been a week since the election of donald trump. >> thank you very much, everybody. >> in the united states of america, eight years, and that's it, out goes the president and a new one comes in. >> he ran an extraordinarily unconventional campaign. >> we're going to build a wall! >> he now has to transition to governance. >> i think these conversations are always best in private, particularly when you're forming a cabinet. >> it's going to be a solid gold cabinet, full of all the finest snacks. >> trump is not draining the swamp. nope, he's inviting the biggest, ugliest swamp monsters in the front door. >> it's very humbling to me being back in a room i spent 12 years as a member of congress in

mitt romney made big headlines, also a former rival. his name floated for a very serious contender for potentially secretary of state. what's interesting is we are seeing the president-elect start to consider some of the rivals. the question is how seriously. as of now he's picked a number of allies, loyalists. will he pick a rival, reach across the aisle to pick a democrat like tulsi gabbard? that remains to be seen. >> just to follow up, if mitt romney were secretary of state, not being part of the inner circle one could infer especially with the choices already in the defense and national security field that he might be an outlier, he may not have the president's ear. that would be something he would have to consider seriously before going in. >> i think that's right. of course you have the national security adviser, michael flynn, someone who is going to have the president's ear, and who is the lightning rod for a host of reasons. a number of controversial comments made about muslims. there is a question mark around that. you're rig

i have a lot of friends -- by the way, mitt romney is not one of them. >> you know, you've been mittney'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's not just talk, he truly is. and i think the question now is going forward what can he do to help the president-elect be successful. he has said publicly, governor romney has said several times he wants to help the president-elect be successful as he begins to govern. so i think the question now is what does the president-elect potentially want from governor romn romney? governor romney now believes we

obviously cheering for mitt romney here. i've been hearing the critics saying this is the signal that would -- not that they're going to be trump supporters but that would reassure that there will be some stability in this administration. >> this is sort of hiring the grown-up to put a really good face on whatever happens, whatever trump decides to do in foreign policy to the rest of the world. as donald trump said his semsel looks like he was born to play the part of sectary of state. he brings to that office a lot of credibility and foreign leaders especially are very, very worried about what donald trump might do. he is much more isolationist than george w. bush and even president obama. his job will be to reassure our international partners that, no, donald trump isn't going to blow up the world and make massive change. and that's a great face to put on it. it's a calm and reassuring face and it also calms and reassures a lot of people on capitol hill, democrats and republicans alike, who are very worried that donald tru

following the mitt romney meeting today we're expecting mr.eet with the former chancellor of d.c. public schools and an advocate for unlimited implementation of charter schools. also meeting with him today james -- prospect for secretary of defense. there are some questions whether he could serve in that capacity given that he has not been out of the military for the required seven years to take on a defense job. also on tap is robert woodson, the senate for the neighborhood enterprise. he has been a long-time advocate in washington for such things as more local control in inner cities, a resident management, ownership of public housing, for example. mr. trump will spend the entire weekend here at the trufrp national golf club in new jersey. another series of meetings slated for tomorrow. >> doug, as we go ahead and take a look sort of broaden this out in terms of what we've seen this weekend. obviously, we have the highly scripted moments as we saw the arrival of mitt romney, and then we had that highly scripted moment last night when the act

and also, mitt romney joining the team.trump critic, if you have vociferous critics like romney and haley, does that give you any reinsurance? >> not really. i cannot believe mitt romney would take this job if offered. he would have to put his conscience in a blind trust. after listening to the clip about what you said. to then reverse that. nikki haley, it is tough for her too, but mitt really went way farther. so i'm not necessarily reassured. what i see today, i think they are rattled by the critique of white nationalists being associated with the campaign. we have a woman of color. a behind of possibly dr. ben carson and a woman. so there is a little of that. but also an astonishing lack of attention to any kind of experience on the part of certainly haily and carson if she accept. it is really staggering. that somebody who turned down syrian refugees, for example, in south carolina srgs going to be chab rating, representing us with a body so important to the resettlement of refugees wherever we think they might belong.

. >>> 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 heal

former presidential nominee mitt romney. even more surprising, romney may be under consideration for a post in the trump cabinet. following a new controversy. new talk about setting up a registry for people coming to the united states from high-risk areas, mostly muslim majority countries. is that in effect a muslim registry? we'll discuss today's important developments with former congressman jack kingston, he was a senior advisor to the trump campaign. and our correspondents, analysts and guests will have full coverage of the day's top stories. let's begin with breaking news. our senior white house correspondent jim acosta is at trump tower. jim, has the prime minister of japan arrived already to see donald trump? >> donald trump will be sitting down shortly with the prime minister of japan, shinzo abe, for his first meeting with a foreign leader since winning the presidency just last week. but, wolf, donald trump also is tending to some domestic matters, namely filling his cabinet. and he is considering names at this poin

but this is very serious as you point nout knowing mitt romney o well. this was mitt romney.e meant every word. >> the concerns are genuine. no question. and those concerns remain but the election is over now. we are in a different phase of the year. and the reality is this. donald trump has invited mitt romney for a meeting because he's trying to figure a way to govern. and mitt romney is a patriot so he's going to do what he can to help trump succeed. this is not a secrete to anybody. after the election there was mitt romney tweeted in a favorable way towards donald trump. and governor romney is one of the most gracious persons i've met. so it doesn't surprise me at all that this is about helping the president elect govern. it is not about forgetting about all of the issues that there were in the campaign. because there were issues and there are policy differences, don't get me wrong. but this is about governing. >> is this inconsistent. this is the tough thing. there is patriotism, if you are mitt romney and then there is deeply devout religious man who has convictions abo

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

anybody but mitt.think i have got to say, first giuliani, then john bolton and primarily not because of the difference in their qualities or imaiments or intellect. but was frankly donald trump is closer personally to rudy giuliani, and i think that would be good. i think that job needs all the friends he can get. >> i would avoid a confirmation battle. he wants the right to work, repeal and replacing obamacare. lou: charlie and i never agree. some fights are worth having. some battles you just have gotta win. you are very gracious, charlie. breaking news. the "new york times" reporting president-elect trump will announce a major victory stop jobs. they will reportedly be announcing they have struck a deal with air-conditioner company carrier to keep as many 2,000 jobs in the great state of indiana. carrier had planned to move the 2,000 jobs from indiana to mexico. that has apparently changed. trump to make that announcement at carrier's indianapolis plants. great news. up next, president-elect trump v

he will have dinner with mitt romney. the 2012 republican nominee is a leading contender for secretary of state. that despite the fact that a lot of trump loyalists are very upset about the fact that trump would even consider mitt romney given all the things mitt romney had to say about trump during the campaign. sources tell cnn that this dinner will be private. i wouldn't be surprised if we hear from both of them afterwards. >>> bob corker and michael mc mccaul will meet with donald trump today. corker is said to be among those up for the secretary of state gig along with rudy giuliani and david petraeus. mccaul said to be up for homeland security. >>> trump impressed with david petraeus after being interviewed with the top spot. he is seen as a compromise pick after divisions over mitt romney and giuliani. some republicans believe petraeus should be disqualified for sharing classified information with his biographer. >> how did the meeting go? >> the meeting went well. was with him for about an hour. he basically walke

with mitt romney. it seems hard to believe with all the very public kind of feuding over mitt romney amongst his top advisers that has been surprising, it seems hard to believe that if he's sitting down, having dinner with mitt romney, that donald trump isn't seriously considering him as a candidate, his top cabinet maybe, for secretary of state. >> no question. he is seriously considering. i know there are conspiracies out there. people who say no, this is about trying to publicly humiliate mitt romney. from my reporting, i don't think that's the case. i think this is real. it is really hard to envision this dinner wherein, you know, just a couple months ago we would have all suggested to mitt romney he get a food taster before sitting down to that. because he had been so incredibly harsh with his criticism of donald trump during the primaries. but the primaries are over. and donald trump is trying to decide whether or not he will make the ultimate decision of i'm ready to move forward by picking his

mitt romney given his difference of opinion than donald trump, if you think about russia, mitt romneyad of most of the rest of us in terms of what a threat russia could be to us and during the campaign many people were concerned that donald trump is too cozy to russia. they have difference of opinions in terms of free trade. is that a positive? >> i think it's a tremendous positive. if the choice is simply between romney and giuliani, it's not even close. giuliani is thrillingly unsuited to be secretary of state of the united states. when mitt romney -- stephanie, when mitt romney was running for president, people who knew him really well were so frustrated because they kept saying why isn't the guy i know running for president? and so he did come across as this cardboard cutout of a candidate. i honestly believehat josh is right. i believe this is about service in the end. i don't even think it's about maintaining relevancy. i actually believe he thinks he can serve his country as secretary of state and on that basis alone he's a good choice. >> i want to talk about steve mnuchin for

however, a close friend to mitt romney has expressed healthy skepticism that if mitt romney were offered a position in the trump white house, that he wouldn't actually accept it. but on the transition call this morning, communications director jason miller expressing the fact that all of these meetings that are happening this week and this weekend, it reflects the outreach that the trump team is giving to a broad array of ideas, diverse opinions as well. in fact donald trump won't just be meeting with mitt romney today, he has a slew of names who he'll be meeting with. in fact one of those names here actually that will happen tomorrow, governor chris christie. chris christie of course was initially leading the transition team until he was kicked off of it. donald trump will meet with him tomorrow. so uncertain exactly what they'll address. one other note, the transition team call that happened this morning, it was discussed that there could be another announcement coming later today, another announcement of a position on the national security team. so all things will be looking forward t

this humbles mitt romney.d trump boasted in 2012 mitt romney wanted his endorsement so much he would go on bended knee if trump would ask him. i don't think he went on bended knee but certainly went to donald trump and ate some crow. >> what could mitt romney do for a trump administration were he to be selected for any possible selection within a cabinet if that were to happen? he has a lot of talent. >> yes, mitt romney is not going to take something like congress secretary. he would only take something really significant like secretary of state. what may happen is down the road there may be a commission of a panel or a task force that needs to investigate a certain lot of american foreign policy. mitt romney would be a great part-time chairman for that, wouldn't have the visibility of secretary of state but would make use of his talents. that wouldn't be coming soon, but down the line as situations develop. >> let's talk about general mattis. today at the top of our program we heard doug mckelway talk about