Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani declined multiple positions in President-elect Donald Trump's cabinet, he said in an interview on CNN, explaining he was too busy to lead the State Department.
Giuliani reportedly made it clear to Trump's transition team he was not interested in U.S. attorney general or secretary of homeland security. He wanted "something more serious, like Defense or State," an anonymous former adviser to Giuliani told The New York Times.
Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., is Trump's choice for attorney general, and retired Gen. James Mattis is set to head the Department of Defense in the upcoming administration. Trump announced Tuesday he plans to nominate ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson to succeed John Kerry as secretary of state.
"I am totally comfortable with being out of it," Giuliani told Tuesday's "New Day." "I have an awful lot to do.
"Would've been a big sacrifice to do it," he said of the role at State. "So, I had to make a choice early on in the game."
According to Giuliani, he removed himself from consideration for Trump's cabinet in late November, although he announced it last Friday.
"He had enough good people to choose from," Giuliani added.
"I wasn't necessary. If I thought I was necessary, I would've stayed in. I wasn't necessary."
Giuliani was considered a front-runner for a high-level role in Trump's cabinet. The former mayor was one of the president-elect's most visual surrogates during the campaign, and seemed unable to explain the choice of Tillerson to fill the seat.
"It seemed to me the president shouldn't have to go through that, 'I gotta choose this one, this one, this one' — I think he has to have total, 100-percent confidence in the person he selects," he said.
When asked if Tillerson was a wiser choice than himself, Giuliani said, "I'm saying I'm not necessary," and "[Tillerson] will do a good job."
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