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WASHINGTON (CNN) — Kellyanne Conway publicly sounded alarm bells Thursday in a series of tweets highlighting the anger among President-elect Donald Trump's base of supporters with Mitt Romney, reportedly to be a leading contender for secretary of state.
"Receiving deluge of social media & private comms re: Romney Some Trump loyalists warn against Romney as sec of state," the top Trump aide and former campaign manager tweeted, along with a link to a Politico article about discontent with the 2012 presidential nominee among Trump loyalists.
Receiving deluge of social media & private comms re: Romney Some Trump loyalists warn against Romney as sec of state https://t.co/HDtpjeJTc3
— Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) November 24, 2016
Conway later tweeted, "Kissinger & Schultz as Secs of State flew around the world less, counseled POTUS close to home more. And were loyal. Good checklist."
Sources familiar with transition discussions report that Romney — who was Trump's fiercest critic inside the Republican Party during the campaign — is interested in serving as the country's top diplomat. Sources report that Romney is waging a behind-the-scenes fight for the job with Rudy Giuliani, a Trump loyalist.
Conway told CNN that she was only tweeting the same message she has been telling Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence in private.
"I am struck by the intensity and volume of resistance (to Romney) from the grassroots; words like 'betrayal.' I communicate with PEOTUS and VPEOTUS privately and regularly so this is not an attempt to do so publicly as some (who missed the election completely) are suggesting," Conway said.
She added, "Also, I respect completely that these weighty decisions rest with one man — a man whose political instincts and unconventional campaign defied the critics and made history."
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