Former presidential candidate Mitt Romney praised President-elect Donald Trump after the two men went to dinner as Trump continues to deliberate about his choice for secretary of State. “I had a wonderful evening with President-elect Trump,” Romney said after leaving the dinner. “We had another discussion about affairs throughout the world and these discussions I’ve had with him have been enlightening, and interesting, and engaging. I’ve enjoyed them very, very much. I was also very impressed by the remarks he made on his victory night. By the way, it’s not easy winning. I know that myself. He did something I tried to do and was unsuccessful in. He won the general election and he continues with a message of inclusion and bringing people together and his vision is something which obviously connected with the American people in a very powerful way. The last few weeks he's been carrying or a transition effort and I can tell you I’ve been impressed by what I've seen in the transition effort.”

Romney, who devoted an entire speech during the campaign eviscerating Trump as a con man and a fraud also praised the administration appointments of Nikki Haley, Jeff Sessions, and Betsy DeVos. “I think you’re going to see America continue to lead the world in this century. And what I’ve seen through these discussions I’ve had with President-elect Trump, as well as what we’ve seen in his speech the night of his victory, as well as the people he’s selected as part of his transition, all of those things combined give me increasing hope that President-elect Trump is the very man who can lead us to that better future,” Romney concluded his brief remarks.

—Gideon Resnick