Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is no longer in the running to serve as secretary of state under Donald Trump, the president-elect announced Friday.
"During a meeting with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani held on Nov. 29, 2016, Mayor Giuliani removed his name from consideration for a position in the new administration," Trump revealed in a statement.
CNN had reported earlier Friday that Giuliani was no longer being considered to head the State Department, citing an unnamed source. The president-elect came out with a statement hours later saying that the former New York City mayor was not in the running for the past several days.
"Rudy Giuliani is an extraordinarily talented and patriotic American," Trump said. "I will always be appreciative of his 24/7 dedication to our campaign after I won the primaries and for his extremely wise counsel. He is and continues to be a close personal friend, and as appropriate, I will call upon him for advice and can see an important place for him in the administration at a later date."
Trump added that Giuliani will remain a vice chairman of the presidential transition team, which is lead by Vice President-elect Mike Pence, and that he respects the former mayor's reasons for remaining in the private sector.
"I joined the campaign because I love my country and because having known Donald Trump as a friend for 28 years and observing what he has been able to accomplish, I had no doubt he would be a great president," Giuliani said, explaining his name withdrawal. "This is not about me; it is about what is best for the country and the new administration.
"From the vantage point of the private sector, I look forward to helping the president-elect in any way he deems necessary and appropriate," he added.
Giuliani arose as a key surrogate to Trump during the campaign. He has recently faced criticism over his past consulting work for foreign governments, including in Qatar and Serbia, which some critics said should disqualify him from being secretary of state.
Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson, 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, and Ford CEO Alan Mulally are still under consideration to head the State Department. Retired Gen. David Petraeus and Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee have also been floated as potential picks.
Trump met with Tillerson earlier this week and the two are expected to meet again in the coming days, Fox News reported.
Senior adviser Kellyanne Conway said Friday the eventual nominee will need to adhere to "the Trump doctrine" to "execute his vision" abroad.