Republican Sen. Mitt Romney (Utah) has been one of Donald Trump’s harshest critics, and when asked by Mike Pence to withdraw his criticism of Trump, he nearly laughed in the former vice president’s face, RawStory reports.

Romney denounced Trump as a fraud and a phony while the 2016 presidential campaign was in full swing, but Romney apparently seriously considered an offer by Pence during the post-election transition to meet with the president-elect to discuss his possibility of becoming secretary of state, according to the book Romney: A Reckoning by McKay Coppins. Excerpts of the book were published by The Guardian.

“Looking back on it later,” Coppins wrote, “Romney would acknowledge that his willingness to entertain Trump’s offer was propelled by a mix of noble motivations and self-centered ones.”

Romney and Trump met at his Bedminster golf club in New Jersey, and he told the then president-elect, his son-in-law Jared Kushner, and advisers Steve Bannon and Reince Priebus that he would accept the job if four conditions were met: standing weekly meetings with the president, control of foreign policy, selecting his own deputies, and veto powers over ambassadorial appointments.

“[He] dreaded the prospect of overseeing a diplomatic corps polluted by Paul Manaforts and Roger Stones,” Coppins writes.

Both men were eventually convicted of crimes in connection with their work for Trump, who, of course, pardoned them as he was preparing to leave office.

Trump didn’t object to Romney’s requests and then dismissed his aides. Then he told Romney he was “right out of central casting … perfect … just what I need.”

But then Pence told Romney he must tell the media he was wrong about condemning Trump, per the book, and tell reporters “that what you’ve learned has given you much more confidence in him being president.’

“Romney nearly guffawed,” Coppins writes, noting that Romney told Pence that it would look ridiculous if he changed his mind after only a one-hour meeting. “It would not occur… until later that Trump didn’t care about the sincerity of the retraction — he wanted a show of subjugation, nothing more.”

I’m guessing this may have been one of the shortest job offers ever. Both Romney and Trump have strong personalities and I’m willing to bet the two would have been at each other’s throats all the time.

Romney is probably glad he dodged that bullet.