Donald Trump reportedly wanted Mitt Romney to apologize in public for harsh comments

Mitt Romney.
(Image credit: BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP/Getty Images)

Apparently, all it takes for President-elect Donald Trump to get over being called a "con man," " a fake," and "a phony" is a public expression of regret — something Mitt Romney, the author of a book called No Apology, was unwilling to provide.

Several people close to Trump and Romney spoke with CNN, recounting how Romney almost became Trump's secretary of state nominee. Following the election, Romney called to offer his congratulations, and Trump brought up the idea of him being part of his Cabinet. As their conversations continued, Trump reportedly was "pleasantly surprised" with how well the two got along. Top Trump advisers Kellyanne Conway and Steve Bannon were vocal in their belief that Romney's previous comments were unforgivable, but incoming chief of staff Reince Priebus and Vice President-elect Mike Pence suggested a public apology from Romney would smooth things over.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.