Trump, Romney, once bitter rivals, meet, smile, shake hands

BEDMINSTER, N.J. — President-elect Donald Trump and Mitt Romney met Saturday at the billionaire’s golf club in New Jersey, both emerging with smiles and a public handshake but no word on what, if any, role the 2012 GOP hopeful might play in the new administration.

Trump flashed a thumbs-up said the sit down “went great.” Romney said the two had a “far reaching conversation with regards to the various theaters in the world where there are interests of the United States of real significance.”

The meeting alone was notable after the crackling rancor between the men all year.

Romney assailed Trump in a stinging speech in March, calling him a “con man” and a “phony.” Trump responded by calling Romney a “loser” who “choked like a dog” during the 2012 election and let President Barack Obama win.

But the two have started to make amends since the election. Romney called Trump to congratulate him after his victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Romney was only one of a parade of officials pouring through Trump’ door as the president-elect tries to fill more members of his administration.

On Friday, Trump picked Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions for attorney general and Kansas Rep. Mike Pompeo to head the CIA, signaling a sharp rightward shift in U.S. security policy as he begins to form his Cabinet. Trump also named retired Lt. Gen Michael Flynn as his national security adviser.

Hosting the stream of visitors wasn’t Trump’s first public act of the day. First, there was Twitter.

He rushed to the defense of Mike Pence on Saturday after “Hamilton” actor Brandon Victor Dixon challenged the incoming vice president from the Broadway stage after the show Friday night. “Apologize!” Trump tweeted to the actor. “Our wonderful future V.P. Mike Pence was harassed last night at the theater by the cast of Hamilton, cameras blazing. This should not happen!”

Dixon tweeted back: “Conversation is not harassment sir. And I appreciate @Mike_Pence for stopping to listen.”

Trump also bragged on Twitter about agreeing to settle a trio of lawsuits against Trump University, claiming: “The ONLY bad thing about winning the presidency is that I did not have the time to go through a long but winning trial on Trump U. Too bad!”

It was announced Friday that Trump had agreed to a $25 million settlement to resolve the lawsuits that alleged the school misled students and failed to deliver on its promises in programs that cost up to $35,000.

Trump has denied the allegations and had said repeatedly he would not settle. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who announced the settlement, called it “a stunning reversal by Donald Trump and a major victory for the over 6,000 victims of his fraudulent university.”

Trump’s schedule on Saturday included retired Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis, a potential contender to serve as Trump’s defense secretary, as well as Michelle Rhee and Betsy DeVos, two well-known education activists. And on Sunday, Trump was due to meet with several people, including New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

Associated Press writers Laurie Kellman, Mark Kennedy, Errin Whack, Jonathan Lemire, Jill Colvin, Stephen Braun, Robert Burns and Jack Gillum and Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this report.