Will be taking over one of the countrys key diplomatic post. And debbie deboss, vaus. Her pick was strongly criticized by teacher unions and advocates. She was a strong critic of trump in march. She called him an interlopper who does not represent the Republican Party. Meanwhile, nbc reporting that that ben carson is joining the trump administration. The president elect trump tweeted that hes seriously considering ben carson. I feel that i can make a significant contribution particularly in making our inner cities great for everyone. For the latest on how Donald Trumps cabinet is shaping up, Kristen Welker in palm beach, florida, lets start with the two pick that is were official that we do know about. What else does it say of these two picks in particular . There was some concern that he was not looking outside of that inner circle so you have the fact that these were two former critics of donald trump and these were the first two women that hes picking to serve as apart of his administration. Governor nikki haley is a rising star in the Republican Party. Shes someone that gained national praise when she led that fight to have these Confederate Flag taken down in her state. Shes someone who opposed Donald Trumps muslim ban. She had a largely into policy positions as you say, she was a former critic of his. Last week after she met with donald trump, look, i am not going to pretend that i am a cheer leader for him but i did vote for him and i was thrilled when he was elected. She was someone who ultimately got on board with him. I spoke with some of his top transition officials, they felt they had good chemistry. There is a little bit of entry with this pick as well. That is winwin for trump in a number of different ways and it elevates Lieutenant General and Henry Mcmaster in the state of South Carolina, two governor. He was an early ally of donald trump. And in terms of the pick of devos for secretary, shes a former critic. Shes someone of a lightning rod, she was praised by jeb bush today. Top teachers saying shes going to be bad for children and education. Shes someone who favors the Voucher Program and opposed of the common core. She can have a tough confirmation process. What you are starting to see is donald trump starting trying to diversify his cabinet in many ways something is happening there. Maybe imminently a week or two weeks ago, you had ben carson people putting out the statement that he feels ready to lead a federal agency and now on the verge of leading here. Whats happening here. I this i one out of the concerns that within the camp is he does not miss expertise. There were some concerns expressed of doctor carson himself. I was told that earlier today and then this evening, i spoke to a spokesperson, he reiterated that. Then you read those facebook posts steve that are real indication that hes considering it. Ultimately they felt they could not say no to the president and such a high offer. So well have to see what he ultimately decides. I am told hes going to take this thanksgiving holiday to really consider and really consider if hes right for this position, steve. All right, Kristen Welker down there in palm beach florida. Thanks for that. Donald trump has yet to make his public selection for secretary of state but romney reportedly eliting candidate there. Both of them are lobbying against that selection. I am for whoever president elect trump picks. There are huge advantages for Rudy Giuliani frankly. I think if you want somebody thats really tough negotiator for america and represents american interests in the way that trumps campaign. I think Rudy Giuliani is a better pick and has the right temperament. There is only one way that romney is considered for a most like that and that is he goes to a microphone and repudiates everything he says in that famous Salt Lake City peach and everything he says after that where he said donald trump was not fit. On and on. It would be a real insult to donald trump voters who worked really hard. Thats what i think he has to stop. All right, for more on the state of transition, joining now from our politicals, jay toenew, and kent, you got gingrich and huckabee. Theyre sort of angled here and it is pretty clear. It does raise the question that as donald trump making these deliberations. Do they have his ears or do the huckabee or gingrich . Gingrich has his ear from some extent. He was an early adopter who got on the trump train early y a lot of republicans still dragging his feet. Those who were trump loyalists and those who were not. Rudy giuliani in the former catego category. One thing i do think we have to look at is mitt romney and with the devos pick. Obviously, mitt romney had a huge role of the best and the right. And devos is a major donor. Their major donors is going to help fund the rnc and possibly a trump reelection of 2020. I dont think we can over look that angle. Both romney and haley were fierce critics of trump during the campaign. This was romney back in march. Mr. Trump already alarming our allies. He creates goats and muslims. He calls for the use of torture and killing the innocent children and family members of terrorists. This is a very brand of anger that has led other nations into the a donald trump is a phony and a fraud. Nikki haley delivered the republican response of the state of the Union Address this year and she used that speech to go after donald trump. During anxious times were you referring to donald trump, correct . Yes, he was one of them. He contributed to what i think is just irresponsible talk. Donald trump is everything i taught my children not to do in kindergarten. I will not stop until we fight a man that chooses not to disavowal the kkk. You heard Mike Huckabee there. Look, Donald Trumps base and voters, his supporters wont stand for this. You cannot put somebody in a position like mitt romney who said those kinds of things about donald trump and never repudiated it and never backed off them. Is there anything to that risk that donald trump would face in putting somebody like that forward . Well, this is going to be the inherit attention and especially as he begins and thinking of eyeing the reelection is care taking the angry base that got him in this position and got him elected and making sure they are taken care of and well represented. Mike pompeo and head of the ceo and Jeff SessionsJeff Sessions as ag, you saw him doing these appointments and now hes looking forward to branching out and making establishment of the republicans who he has to work with for the next four years. They control congress and these are people who obviously did not want to see him elected and fought very hard in the never trump dprtrump group and now hes to bring back. Hes creating a team of rivals. If he does pick romney or nikki haley in the senate, hes creating a team thats different among themselves and incredibly interesting to watch those debat debates. But, i get the feeling, too that the decision here that trump is facing as a secretary of state is bigger than that and not just the question of republicans and donor classes cheering for romney here. I here a lot of trump critics saying this is the signal that would reap. They would reassure that there will be some stability of administration. Absolutely. This is like sort of the hiring the adult and grown up and putting on a good face of whatever happens. And romney has that, and as donald trump says himself, he looks he was born to play the part of secretary of state. He bring to that office and a lot of credibility and as foreign leaders, especially very, very worry of what donald trump may do. Hes much more isolationist than george h. W. Bush or barack obama and withdrawing from the National Coalitions bilike naft and nato. This is not going to blow up the world and make massive change. Thats a great face to put on. It is a common reassuring face. It is one that i think calm and reassures a lot of people. You know, lets not forget here, you guys. Mitt romney is right, hes a respected voice of the Republican Party. He does not have a ton of experience in Foreign Policy. True, hes a serious guy and he owned up to it and he pressed the case aggressively against barack obama and calling russia our number one political foe and during the debate of 2012. Hes a former governor and private equity guy. He fits in with this mode that we are seeing so far of trumps nominee and perspective nominees who dont have a ton of subject areas expertise and led alone of government. Quickly though, is it durable though . If donald trump, if mitt romneys secretary of state and donald trump says something and something that causes a big controversy. Is mitt romney going to be able to sit there and not say anything when every reporter is asking, do you endorse what trump just said. If romney says or does something that trump perceives like, is trump going to be able to have his back or trump is going to lash out evidence. On the last part, everything we have seen from donald trump suggests not. Donald trump likes people who like him whether it is vladimir putin, he praised him because he said nice things on him or barack obama who he criticized during the campaign and sudden has nice things to say about him because barack obama is trying to thread the needle with donald trump. We and the press will be on the look out anything in his cabinet and let alone someone like romney it could be perceive as showing some aerospace between them and well jot all of that and i think donald trump giving his inclination would be hard press to not respond. Look at colin powell and george h. W. Bush, he oftentimes bit his tongue when the hawks are going into iraq and making this case of weapon mass of destruction and he privately disagreed and a lot of his disagreements were leaked to the press. So the big question is, i dont know or ever going to be an insider of the trump team in this case and for example, hen to hillary clinton, he can be effective secretary of state as ken powell was. Thank you for joining us. Coming up, president elect trump, different in his new york time sit down when he did when he was candidate trump. Thats next and plus, trump maybe preparing for office but Hillary Clintons vote count continues to climb. Well continue to climb. Well tell you how much it has grown. A historic number we maybe looking at here. Getting ready for a big day tomorrow. We got a Survival Guide on how to pick to your family members of the polarizing of the 2016. The hardball roundtable is coming here to tell me and you something that we dont know. This is hardball the place for politics. President obama is enjoying the holiday of his highest Approval Rating in years. This is according to a new cnnorc poll showing that 57 of americans approved of the job hes doing. Thats the highest number it has been since september of 2009. That was obamas first year in office. 41 of americans say they disapprove the job that the president is doing. Well be right back. 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Welcome back to hardball, that was donald trump with some rare words of praise at the New York Times. During his meeting headquarters yesterday. He wants nothing more for his audience fto be impressed. Now, did donald trump back off his promises to prosecute hillary clinton. Here is trump. I met with him and i asked him that question. I said what do you think of water boarding . He said, i was surprised and i never found it to be useful. I was all found, give me a pack of cigarettes and a couple of beers and i do better with that than i do with torture. Hes reambassadoriconsiderin the hard lines decisions that he took with the campaign. Robert costa. I will start with you. You interviewed him and you followed this guy from the beginning. The trump who showed up looks loo i c like a charm offensive. How much of that room is a reflection of donald trump moving into a new role now that hes president elect and no longer a candidate . Trump throughout his career has changed his volume level and his settings politically depending on his audience. Not that hes necessarily changes the message or the substance but he changes the presentation. I hear this from people working with him at trump tower, he wants to make sure hehemil weapon as populous of the conservative side of the party with him. The establishment and the media, remains where and he has to build some relationships or repair some relationships. An interesting situation, if trump got the only issue there with the media and his critics that robert is talking about and the same time, thises is a guy that ran outside the Republican Party. He had Republican Leaders who were skeptical. This is a president elect who did a lot more of a blank canvas than i think of what hes going to pursue. You got the position he took in the campaign. Now, he goes to New York Times yesterday and he drops these hints that make a liberal audience and getting hopeful. Do we have any sense where he did not land . I dont think we do yet. The interview was so striking. First of all, hes been bashing the times of the whole campaign and how theyre losing voters. That was odd. And then he made comments, if you look at them carefully, he was asked about separating the business while he was president. He kind of said things that he may think about that. He asked about Climate Change and give liberal words of Climate Change and commitment to that and on torture, hes thinking he did not change positions. He kind of spoken in a way where i assume that New York Times audience would want to hear more. He did not change his views, remember of obamacare, he said he likes some parts of it now but hes not clear what hes going to do on the law. Hes still leading himself of a lot of wiggle room onhe right and the left and not committing anything so far. Those comments perry is talking about there about obamacare. They came after he sat down with president obama and also in his meeting of New York Times. Hes now donald trump practically gushing when the name barack obama comes up. One meeting of barack obama seems to change the way he talks about them and gotten him to consider of what hes been saying of obamacare. I heard people raises is he one of those guys where we have seen leaders like this before and the last person who gets to him before they have to make a decision, thats the one thats foi the one thats going to way on him the most. That certainly is a trait that has define trump throughout much of his life. The politics of this are more fascinating and trump is echoing what is last heard. What we are seeing is the president elect trump did not run on an ideology agenda. There is this pragmatism at the core of what hes doing and of the transition and interviews. And in part, part of the chaos, we always see around trump in the last few years. There is this undefid prag undefinundefined undefineundefined undefined pragmatism theyre wondering could their own agenda be trump if they play the roles right. The president of the United States is allowed to have whatever conflicts he or she wants. But, i dont want to go there. Hes a quality person and i think he could be helpful. I would love to be able to be the one that make specipeace wi israel and palestinians. I would love that. No one is able to d tho that. He knows the region. I would love to be. You can put that down and also many things i would like to do. So here during the campaign when the subject of donald trump and his business and family would come up, look, if i get elected as president , i want the family to go run the business and focusing on the country, now, hes talking about maybe those lines being blurry longterms than he was during the campaign, he got these roles for Jared Kushner, how do you think this would work out when he becomes president in january . You heard a lot of comments about deputitinepotism and two, familys business. He did not change his mind. I heard him say that Jared Kushner is going to play a big role and particularly on a Foreign Policy issue like israel and palestine. Thats a big role. He kept on saying and said it two or three times in the interview, there is no conflict of interests. The law only applies to me. That is correct. It does not reassure critics. He wants to stay involved in the business some way and no one can stop him from doing that. I think hes right legally and if not, morally or ethically. Coming up, guess whos coming to dinner . Relatives that loves to talk politics, maybe you got