NEW YORK: US President-elect Donald Trump prepared Monday to announce a new slate of cabinet picks some time soon, following a busy weekend of meetings with hopefuls at his golf club retreat outside New York.
The Republican billionaire-turned-world leader heaped praise on tough-talking retired Marine Corps general James "Mad Dog" Mattis, signaling he is seriously considering him as Pentagon chief.
When asked before dinner at his Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey if he would soon reveal new nominations, Trump told reporters: "Pretty true," confirming he had "made a couple of deals."
But Trump made the 90-minute drive back to Manhattan late Sunday after two days in Bedminster, and no new picks were revealed.
Beyond Mattis, the top names on the guest list Sunday were Republican New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who was recently ousted as the leader of Trump's transition team, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani and immigration hardliner Kris Kobach.
The president-elect was clearly seeking to sound out people from a wide range of backgrounds, from party stalwarts to business moguls and former rivals.
Some of Trump's choices for other key posts so far -- attorney general, national security adviser and chief White House strategist -- have come under fire on civil rights grounds from Democrats and other critics.
But he has also moved to mend fences with moderate Republicans as he goes about building a new administration before his January 20 inauguration.
On Saturday, he interviewed one-time foe Mitt Romney -- the 2012 Republican presidential candidate who called him a "fraud" during the recent campaign --for the secretary of state position, reportedly coveted by Giuliani.
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