Elliott Abrams: Bannon May Be Why I Was Passed Over for State Dept. Position

Elliott Abrams, who served under both Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, was being considered for the job of Deputy Secretary of State in the Trump administration, but was passed over because, according to CNN, President Trump became aware of past criticisms Abrams had of him.

It’s unclear exactly why that may have happened in this particular situation, seeing as how Rick Perry and Nikki Haley––among others––were Trump critics that ended up being chosen for his administration (as Energy Secretary and U.N. ambassador, respectively).

Abrams appeared on CNN tonight to discuss the matter with Erin Burnett. He provided some insight into the meeting he had with Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and said he was ready to address his past criticisms of the president.

And on the subject of who in the White House might have tanked his chances, he said, “The only person on the White House staff that I know who was opposed to my being hired was Steve Bannon, so that’s my guess. It’s a guess.”

Abrams said he was perfectly willing to serve despite those past criticisms, because as an American he wants the president to succeed, but does think it would be “destructive” for Trump to go back into GOP primary mode in deciding who serves in his government.

Watch above, via CNN.

[image via screengrab]

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Follow Josh Feldman on Twitter: @feldmaniac

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