Report: Romney refused to publicly apologize for criticizing Trump

Mitt Romney refused Donald Trump’s request to publicly apologize for criticizing the president-elect during the campaign, CNN reports. 

Romney called Trump a “con man, a phony and a fraud” during the presidential campaign, only to emerge as a candidate for Trump’s secretary of State. On Tuesday, Trump chose Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson for State instead.

Sources told CNN that while Trump was willing to move past Romney’s remarks and consider him for the nation’s top diplomatic job, Trump aides like Kellyanne Conway and Steve Bannon were not so forgiving. 

{mosads}Trump, Vice President-elect Mike Pence and Trump’s incoming chief of staff Reince Priebus all wanted Romney to apologize, according to CNN.

While Romney never made a public apology, he offered praise for Trump and his growing cabinet and congratulated him for winning his White House bid. 

“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,” Romney said after dining with Trump and Priebus last month. 

CNN reports that Trump’s critics eventually persuaded him to look elsewhere to fill the position. Others considered for the job were former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Gen. David Petraeus and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-Tenn.).