Former military general David Petraeus and 2012 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney appear to have emerged as front runners for the post of Secretary of State in Donald Trump’s incoming administration.
Gen. Petraeus, who commanded forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, met Mr. Trump on Monday. Mr. Romney was scheduled to meet Mr. Trump on Tuesday for a second time, even as more supporters of the President-elect came out opposing the former’s appointment.
Revamping Obamacare
The Trump transition team also announced the selection of Indian American Seema Verma as administrator of the Centres for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the agency that oversees government health programmes and insurance standards. Indian American Governor of South Carolina Nikki Haley was earlier selected for the high-profile post of U.S. ambassador to the UN.
Ms. Verma is a public health policy expert, and she designed the Healthy Indiana Plan, the State’s Medicaid programme. Indiana Governor Mike Pence, who is now the Vice-President-elect, noticed her work, paving her way to the new role in the Trump administration. Ms. Verma will oversee the revamp of the Obamacare programme.
Several people close to Mr. Trump are opposing Mr. Romney and the latest to go public was New York Congressman Chris Collins, who was among the first leaders to endorse the President-elect last year. “I know that he’s a self-serving egomaniac who puts himself first, who has a chip on his shoulder, and thinks that he should be President of the United States,” he said about Mr. Romney on Monday.
Mr. Trump’s adviser Kellyanne Conway and former Speaker Newt Gingrich have already made their opposition to Mr. Romney public.
Tennessee Senator Bob Corker, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is also a contender for the post of Secretary of State. Mr. Corker was also scheduled to meet Mr. Trump on Tuesday.
Mr. Corker and Mr. Romney are both supporters of American civil society and charity organisations that operate in India. In 2015, Mr. Romney, along with his family, volunteered in India for nine days with Charity Vision, an American organisation that provides low-cost vision surgeries in 25 countries.
Mr. Corker has in the past criticised bonded labour in India, and during a Congressional hearing earlier this year said the “overall trajectory” of relations with India was positive but the “hopeful rhetoric” had “far exceeded actual tangible achievements”.
Gen. Petraeus, as commander in Afghanistan, acknowledged that India had “legitimate interests” in Afghanistan. He has also been sensitive to Pakistan’s opposition to India’s involvement in Afghanistan. Found guilty of mishandling classified information, the former general had to resign as director of the CIA in 2012, but is widely respected by Republicans and Democrats, and has first experiences in the prominent war theatres of today.
“Just met with General Petraeus — was very impressed!” Mr. Trump said on twitter after the meeting.
