Admiral James Stavridis, dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, met with President-elect Donald Trump yesterday at his office in Trump Tower in New York City, according to Fletcher School Public Relations Specialist Juli Hanscom.
The meeting has fuelled speculation that Stavridis, who was previously the Supreme Allied Commander at NATO, is under consideration to be Trump's secretary of state, according to Politico.
In an interview with reporters outside of Trump Tower, Stavridis said that his meeting with Trump went well, but he did not comment on whether he is being vetted for the secretary of state job.
"When I first heard there was a shortlist, I thought they were referring to a list of short people, which, as you see, I would definitely be on," Stavridis said. "But in terms of any job, I'd say: 'why don't you talk to the folks upstairs [in Trump Tower].'"
According to Stavridis, he and the president-elect had a constructive conversation about defense, foreign policy and national security.
However, during the presidential campaign, Stavridis and Trump often disagreed. In June, Stavridis signed a letter calling for the United States to welcome more refugees to the country, whereas Trump has sharply criticized such proposals. Stavridis also wrote an article for Foreign Policy magazine in October urging the United States to participate in the Trans-Pacific Partnership,which Trump has vowed to reject.
Additionally, in a July interview with Bloomberg, Stavridis warned that the "bromance" between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin could embolden Russia.
This is not the first time that Stavridis has been the subject of political speculation. In July, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign reportedly considered Stavridis for Clinton's running mate, according to theNew York Times.
In an interview on Wednesday with NBC's The Today Show, Trump said that he will likely announce his choice for secretary of state next week. He confirmed that he is considering several candidates for the position, including former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
Dean of Fletcher School James Stavridis meets with President-elect Trump
