Rudy Guiliani Trump’s Secretary of State Choice?

According to AP News, Reuters, CBS News, NBC News, the Wall Street Journal and other media sources, former New York mayor/Trump loyalist Rudy Guiliani is favored to become his secretary of state.

A senior transition team member, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the job is his if he wants it. He told a Wall Street Journal CEO Council event in Washington he’ll decline an attorney general offer, if made.

In 1981, Ronald Reagan appointed him Associate Attorney General, the Justice Department’s third highest position.

In the 1980s, he was US Attorney for the Southern District of New York before serving as city mayor from 1994 through 2001 – the first Republican since John Lindsay in 1965.

His tenure was marred by civil rights and police abuses. He was praised and criticized for his actions before and after 9/11 – including locating the Office of Emergency Management HQ in WTC bldg. 7, having advance knowledge of its collapse, exaggerating the amount of time he spent at Ground Zero, and first responder deaths in part caused by lack of preparedness.

In 2000, he ran for the US Senate, withdrawing after learning he had prostate cancer. Time magazine named him 2001 Person of the Year.

In 2002, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth gave him an honorary knighthood. His private sector experience includes investment banking and law practice.

In 2008, he unsuccessfully competed for the GOP presidential nomination. In 2012, he decided against another bid to become party nominee.

At one time, he considered the priesthood, choosing law school instead, achieving New York University Law Review.

It’s unclear when Trump will announce more names for top administration posts following his appointment of RNC chairman Reince Priebus as White House Chief of Staff and Stephen Bannon as chief administration strategist and senior counselor.