It was late 2016 and the political world was essentially upside down. Donald Trump had just pulled off the biggest upset in modern history, and everyone was staring at their screens wondering who on earth he was going to pick to run the country. Then, the rumor started. Mitt Romney for Secretary of State.
Wait, what?
The same Mitt Romney who, just months earlier, had stood behind a podium at the University of Utah and called Trump a "phony" and a "fraud"? Yeah, that one. It felt like a fever dream. People couldn't tell if it was a genuine olive branch or a masterclass in public trolling.
The Dinner That Launched a Thousand Memes
If you were online in November 2016, you remember the photo. It’s the one at Jean-Georges, a high-end French restaurant in Manhattan. Trump is grinning like the cat that ate the canary, and Romney looks—well, he looks like he’s being held hostage by a very expensive appetizer.
They ate garlic soup with frog legs and scallops. Romney had the lamb chops. No wine, obviously, since both are teetotalers. But the food wasn't the point. The point was the optics.
Honestly, it was one of the weirdest moments in American transition history. Romney, the avatar of the GOP establishment, was breaking bread with the man he said lacked the temperament to be president. According to McKay Coppins’ biography Romney: A Reckoning, Romney wasn't just there for the prestige. He was genuinely worried about the state of the world. He saw the rise of China and Russia’s aggression and figured someone "adult" needed to be in the room.
Why Trump Even Put Mitt Romney on the Shortlist
You might wonder why Trump would even bother. He’s not exactly known for hiring people who call him a "con man." But the transition team, including Mike Pence and Reince Priebus, was pushing for some "traditional" picks to calm the markets and the allies.
Romney was "out of central casting," as Trump reportedly put it. He looked the part. He had the stature.
But there was a catch. There’s always a catch.
- The Public Apology: Trump’s inner circle, specifically Kellyanne Conway, was not having it. She went on TV to basically trash Romney, saying his supporters would feel betrayed if he got the job.
- The Subjugation: Pence told Romney he needed to go out and publicly say he was wrong about Trump.
- The Foreign Policy Clash: Romney had famously called Russia our "number one geopolitical foe" in 2012. Trump, at the time, was looking for a "reset" with Putin.
It was a total mismatch of worldviews. Romney wanted a weekly standing meeting with the president and veto power over ambassador picks. Trump wanted... well, he wanted someone who wouldn't argue with him.
The Humiliation Theory
A lot of political analysts think the whole "Mitt Romney Secretary of State" saga was just a long-con revenge plot. Think about it. Trump gets his biggest critic to fly to Bedminster, then to New York, makes him eat frog legs, and lets him praise the "enlightening" conversation to the press—only to pass him over for Rex Tillerson.
Tillerson, the CEO of ExxonMobil, was the total opposite of Romney. He had no political baggage and a pre-existing relationship with Vladimir Putin. By the time December 13th rolled around, Romney was out. He posted a gracious note on Facebook, but the damage to his "Never Trump" brand was already done.
Basically, Romney tried to play the role of the reluctant patriot, but the MAGA base saw a RINO looking for a job.
What We Learned from the Romney Flirtation
Looking back from 2026, this episode was a precursor for how the next four years would go. It showed that Trump valued loyalty and "the look" above almost anything else. It also showed that the "Old Guard" of the Republican party was willing to bend if they thought they could steer the ship.
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Romney later admitted he was "hopeful" Trump could lead, but that hope didn't last long. He eventually became the only Republican senator to vote to convict Trump in two different impeachment trials.
Next Steps for Understanding This Era:
If you want to understand how the GOP changed so fast, you should check out the internal memos from the 2016 transition team, often cited in memoirs by Reince Priebus or Kellyanne Conway. It’s also worth reading the 2012 debate transcripts where Romney discusses Russia; it’s wild how right he was about the "geopolitical foe" part, even if the timing was off for 2016 politics.
Finally, if you're tracking the current 2026 political landscape, notice how the "Secretary of State" archetype has shifted away from the Romney-style diplomat toward more populist, "America First" figures. The era of the "central casting" statesman is, for now, in the rearview mirror.
Actionable Insights:
- Research the "Team of Rivals" concept: Compare Trump’s 2016 outreach to Romney with Lincoln’s actual appointment of rivals to see why one worked and the other was a disaster.
- Analyze the "Jean-Georges Photo": Use it as a case study in political optics and how a single image can define a person's career for years.
- Track Romney’s Senate Voting Record: See how his experience during the 2016 transition likely influenced his later, more defiant stance against the administration.