Rudy Giuliani, John Bolton Are Leading Candidates for Next Secretary of State 
Aides to President-elect Trump are focusing on former New York City mayor and former U.S. ambassador to U.N.
By Damian Paletta and Jay Solomon   
Nov. 14, 2016 3:40 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON—Aides to President-elect Donald Trump are focusing on former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton as the leading candidates to be the next secretary of state, two people familiar with the process said.

The choice between the two would force Mr. Trump to choose between Mr. Giuliani, a longtime friend and ally in New York, and Mr. Bolton, a hawkish conservative diplomat who called last year for the U.S. to bomb Iran.

A final decision could be several weeks away, these people said.

Mr. Giuliani has rebuffed questions about his potential role in the Trump administration, saying on ABC on Sunday, “I have a very, very full life. So it would have to be something where I felt he really needed me and—not that I’d be the only one that could do it, but maybe that I could do it a little bit different or a little bit better than somebody else.”

The Trump transition team is considering former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton for the position of the next secretary of state.   

Mr. Bolton declined to comment, and the Trump transition team didn’t respond to a question for comment.

Mr. Trump’s pick will be integral to his effort to reshape U.S. foreign policy. Mr. Trump has called for a complete overhaul of the way the U.S. interacts with enemies and adversaries, arguing that the White House should forge a new relationship with Russia and engage in trade battles with Mexico and China.