According to Donald Trump, Mitt Romney is still being considered as a potential candidate to be the secretary of state.

The president-elect said on Wednesday that the differences between them during the presidential campaign would not stop him to consider the 2012 Republican presidential nominee's name. Trump has apparently made the final short list for the critical post.

Trump said that he had "tremendous difficulty" with Romney. But, he believes both of them have got past that phase. According to the Republican leader, choosing the right person for the crucial post is of the highest priority.

Donald Trump also said that it was not about taking revenge. It is rather about considering what works well for the country. Trump said he had put the differences behind.

According to CBS News, now the race to being the next secretary of state is between former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Romney. Gen. David Petraeus (ret) is apparently out of the competition, as of now.

Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson is also in the contention for arguably the most crucial post in the country. Trump appreciated how Tillerson had formed a great company with great style.

The GOP leader also said that he was talking to US President Barack Obama regarding cabinet appointments.

"I've asked him what he thinks are the biggest problems of the country, what are some of the greatest assets going forward. We have a very good dialogue," Trump told the "Today Show."

Trump also said that the loved getting ideas from Obama, even if he disagreed with him on a number of issues.

The president-elect also talked about Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte who earlier used abusive language for Obama. Trump refused to contradict or criticize the Filipino president. Duterte is accused of being responsible for killing thousands of suspected drug dealers.

According to the New York Times, Donald Trump did not contradict when he was compared with Duterte. He was told that Duterte's radical take on suspected drug dealers was similar to Trump's promise to teach undocumented immigrants a lesson for killing and raping Americans.