Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani has emerged as the leading candidate to serve as U.S. secretary of state in Donald Trump's administration, Trump officials told news media.
Giuliani was a top adviser and vocal advocate for Trump during his campaign against Democrat Hillary Clinton.
Speaking at a Wall Street Journal event in Washington on November 14, Giuliani ruled out becoming Trump's attorney general -- a job for which the former federal prosecutor had been seen as a top contender..
He said he thought John Bolton, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, "would be a very good choice" for secretary of state. But asked if there was anyone better, he replied with a mischievous smile, "Maybe me, I don't know."
Trump's inauguration is just 66 days away and the president-elect has been focused on building his team and speaking to foreign leaders while working out of Trump Towers, his home in New York.
Besides Giuliani and Bolton, former U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich has also been named as one of the candidates for the top diplomatic job.
Based on reporting by AP and Reuters
