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

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

mitt romney sought that endorsement in vegas when it happened. ann romney was there.e 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. pointing

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

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

, 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

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

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

romney. mr.mp, 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 str

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

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

there are few people that fought the romney candidacy as hard as mitt romney did. i would tell you there was tremendous leadership from the mormon community in general. just a few weeks after losing to barack obama, mitt romney met with barack obama. he's great patriot. he'll put the country first. he'll put the countries interests above his own. i'm not surprised to see him go meet with donald trump. a man who i still think he has little in common with in hopes of influencing him for the better. in hopes of saying i'm here for a advice. i'm here as support ir, as an american now that you are president elect. >> one thing to meet with president elect. another to actually really be considered ads secretary of state and to want to be his secretary of state. >> this is traditional. hillary clinton after all ran tooth and nail against barack obama and wound up as secretary of state. >> george h.w. bush against ronald reagan. i wanted to mention reagan before you did. >> thank you. you're getting the hang of it now. >> going to go for grooefr cleveland bishop. >> one mo

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

i like the fact that he met with romney. i know romney. he's a reasonable guy.on'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, jeanette. g

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

if mitt romney is thinking of apologizing, i hope anne romney and his five kids tie him down.eed 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, general,

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 let us all down.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's n

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

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

his face-to-face with mitt romney, one of his chief rivals during the campaign comes amid reports romney is being considered for secretary of state. but taking up some of trump's focus today, is the cast of "hamilton." [ jeering ] you hear in this video both cheering and booing during a performance of "hamilton" last night. trump took to twitter this morning, demanding an apology from the cast which he claims harassed the vice president-elect. the actor who plays aaron burr thanked the vice president-elect for stopping by and had this message for him. >> we, sir, we are the diverse america, who are the alarmed and anxious that your new administration will not protect us. our children, our parents, defend us and uphold our inalienable rights, sir. we truly hope this show has inspired you to uphold our american values and to work on behalf of all of us. [ cheers and applause ] all of us. >>> this all comes a day after trump reached a $25 million settlement in all three of the lawsuits against trump university. one of the cases had been scheduled to start in two weeks. the deal doesn't requ

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

how interested is romney serving in any capacity and donald trump administration. >> romney reached him congratulated him and from reports that they followed up and asked for a meeting. that's where we are at this point. governor romney is simply meeting with the president elect trump and he wants the president now after having disagreements to him doing well. he's our president and he's accepting the meeting. beyond that, that's something you have to ask the trump people of what he wants to talk about. >> we know romney is a patriot, and give it real consideration if he was asked from president elect trump. after calling donald trump effectively a con man and saying he lacks temperament to do this thing. is he someone who would be comfortable supporting donald trump in this way? >> well, governor romney is a patriot, and he puts the company first, i think he will be willing to help president elect trump any way possible. i don't know if it is in the administration and a big outside council for him. governor romney is someon someone -- the issue has been litigated and donald trump is go

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

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

donald trump and mitt romney will sit down and talk about future and maybe a possible job for mitt romney'll speak to some people who work very closely with the former massachusetts governor and hear what they have to say. stick around. >>> first responders not just dodging air strikes in syria. civilian volunteers are working to rescue people trapped in the rubble of a crumbling aleppo. took two workers four hours to pull this boy to safety this week. my word. more than 100 people were killed. hundreds others were injured in the latest bombing offensive which began tuesday and showing no signs of winding down. >>> volkswagen announcing it will shed 30,000 jobs in a move to return frostability by 2020. it's facing tens in millions of fines and compensation payments after found to be cheating on emission tests. >> a federal appeals court blocking the release of brandon daisy. he and his uncle steve avery have been in prison since 2007. >>> president-elect donald trump set to meet with former republican nominee for president and rival mitt romney. this weekend they will discuss we hear a po

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

corker and romney will be meeting with trump here tomorrow, we know that romney will get a high profile visit dinner date. 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 in mid tongue manhattan. power through it, as usual. >> i want to bring in ari fleischer and kirstin powers. douglas brinkley. 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. he's much more aggressive, assertive, he's a counter puncher. i've always wondered, if he counter punches so hard sometimes if he hurts himself. he's just going to do things differently, and we should stop measuring him by conventional ways. >> even whe

romney would have gotten on his knees. 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 the

just to prove that mitt romney was wrong.tof them 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. omemember on the rosa -- arosa. if you are not -- [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. 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 explain how he f

to the vest but my sense is that romney, this is something romney would seriously consider. long time. i think if you asked him first in public life, he's a patriot. above everything else. >> i also think his problems with conservatives in the 2012 election don't really apply to being secretary of state. the fact that he had romney care. a precursor to obama care. all things he got hit for and maybe lost for. now he just has to be a statesman. >> maybe he has to be bridge to the establishment. >> give cover to other people hesitant about joining a trump administration. if romney is doing it -- >> he absolutely does that. >> we're not all of the way there yet in washington. you can tell while yes they are throwing parties behind closed doors with mike pence, republicans are nervous about what this means and they're not all yet on the same page. there's a risk for trump in that. >> gene, i want to read a little of your piece that says democrats can't just wait for the next barack obama. the republican party is fractured by ideological divisions led by an inexperienced and unpr

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

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

romney called trump a phony and a fraud, trump called romney a loser. earlier called on the cast of "hamilton" to apologize to vice president-elect mike pence. why? pence was booed by some members of the audience as he arrived for a performance last night. later, as pence was leaving, a cast member asked him to stop and listen to a prepared statement. pence did stay and this is part of what he heard. >> we truly hope that this show has inspired you to uphold our american values and to work on behalf of all of us. [ cheers and applause ] despite trump being in new jersey, protests continue today outside of trump tower in new york. these further complicating security concerns on a very busy fifth everyone. let's go to nbc's tammy leitner live outside trump tower. what's the latest today? >> reporter: hey, richard. about 200 protesters have marched up from queens. new york police are doing a pretty good job of keeping them in one area across the street from trump tower. there are groups that are out here from all different boroughs, people from all differe

i think the romney thing, i think he is toying with romney, playing peekaboo with a baby.ut i think petraeus is someone he has respected and admired for a long time. he has spoken of him fondly for a long time. i think that could be the direction we are headed. mark: david petraeus is about a -- a brilliant guy and a charmer. i think the vetting issues is something that he wants to avoid. mr. believe the senate controlled by the republicans too manyharshly vet people but petraeus will end up with the short stick, and i'm sure he would love the job because of the vetting issue. i still think kelly or romney are the two best choices. i try to reach a lot of people to talk about it, no one wanted to talk about where this stands and everybody says the same thing. this is donald trump's pick. he has more relations, but trump corker is an interesting pick. he has more relations, but trump as it is my the image that he wants. john: bob corker is a very smart guy, but he does not cut that figure. petraeus though does. romney clearly does. there is no question. trump has said that.

i think governor romney can do it. 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 coo

mitt romney went far than she did.lled 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 candidate anym

i think the romney thing, i think he is toying with romney, playing peekaboo with a baby.s someone petraeus he has respected and admired for a long time. i think that is the direction we could be headed. is about a petraeus guy in a charmer. i think the vetting issues is something that he wants to avoid. i do not think the senate republicans will harshly that too many people, but petraeus may end up with the short stick sibley because of the vetting issue. i still think kelly or romney are the two best choices. no one wanted to talk about where the stands. everyone says, this is trump's pick. i do believe giuliani will get it. corker is an interesting pick. he has more relations, but trump has the image -- john: bob corker is a very smart guy, but he does not cut that figure. petraeus though does. romney clearly does. trump has said that. he looks like a secretary of state. petraeus -- i know there are vetting issues. it is true. but i think it is more than just the republican senate. at it is also that a lot of republicans in the senate are on record wasng they think petr

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 and rudy giia

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