Giuliani Removes Himself From Contention for Any Trump Admin. Post

— -- Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has removed his name from consideration for any position in Donald Trump's administration, the president-elect said today.

"Rudy Giuliani is an extraordinarily talented and patriotic American. I will always be appreciative of his 24/7 dedication to our campaign after I won the primaries and for his extremely wise counsel,” Trump said in a statement. “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."

Giuliani, one of Trump’s most loyal advisers and surrogates, had been a contender for several Cabinet positions, including secretary of state and secretary of Homeland Security. He asked to be removed from consideration for an administration position during a meeting with Trump on Nov. 29, the Trump team said.

"Rudy would have been an outstanding member of the Cabinet in several roles, but I fully respect and understand his reasons for remaining in the private sector," Trump said.

“This is not about me; it is about what is best for the country and the new administration,” Giuliani said in a statement. “Before I joined the campaign I was very involved and fulfilled by my work with my law firm and consulting firm, and I will continue that work with even more enthusiasm. From the vantage point of the private sector, I look forward to helping the President-elect in any way he deems necessary and appropriate."

In a phone interview with Fox News Friday, Giuliani said he was not bitter about not serving in the administration. While he discussed multiple positions with Trump, Giuliani said he only “had any real interest in” secretary of state.

In the same interview, Giuliani openly criticized Mitt Romney, whom Trump is considering for secretary of state despite very public expressions of concern from several Trump loyalists, including Trump senior Kellyanne Conway, Newt Gingrich and Mike Huckabee.

"I thought Mitt went over the line in the things he said about Donald Trump, and the president-elect is going to make his decision. I will support that decision," he said. "But my advice would be, Mitt went just a little too far to -- you can make friends and make up, but I don't -- I would not see him as a candidate for the Cabinet."

In the early days of the transition, Giuliani was a prominent figure in media outlets promoting Trump and his policies and actively auditioning for a job. But in recent weeks, he faded from the public eye.

There was a tense public clash between two groups of Trump insiders over Giuliani. Some strongly advocated for him to get secretary of state while others raised concerns about his business background and possible difficulty getting confirmed.

Incoming White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus said Giuliani “was vetted by our team for any possible conflicts and passed with flying colors.”