“Last week, people were buoyed that Hadley might be under consideration and Corker seemed to have a shot at secretary of state,” said one disillusioned Republican with ties to the Trump transition.
Now those fleeting hopes have been dashed, several sources said.
The growing understanding that Hadley is highly unlikely to join the Trump team was particularly deflating, sources said. Many establishment Republicans had pinned their hopes on a key role for Hadley, perhaps as secretary of defense, because he was among the most senior GOP foreign policy insiders not to publicly denounce Trump during the campaign and because he inspires loyalty in GOP circles.
Many Republicans critical of Trump said they found it hard to imagine Giuliani or Bolton as America’s top diplomat.
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