Hitting the ground running, President-Elect Donald Trump replaced embattled New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie with Vice President-Elect Indiana Gov. Mike Pence. Mired in the ongoing Bridgegate scandal, Cristie, who backed Trump Feb. 26, will now play a less visible role of senior advisor, eventually White House counsel. Handing Pence the transition reins, Trump showed his skill at delegating, very much in the tradition of President Ronald Reagan, notorious for setting the tone but not the agenda. Trump wants to move quickly in the first 100 days on replacing Obamacare, border security and fiscal policy designed to stimulate the economy. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), whose reluctance to back Trump backfired, now looks all in, praising Trump for delivering the White House back to Republicans. Ryan walks a fine line continuing as House Speaker without 100% backing Trump.
Watching anti-Trump protests in major cities around the country, Trump has moved ahead with his transition plans. Violent protests erupted after Trump’s stunning win Nov. 8, with professional anarchists mobilizing a variety of disgruntled groups into the streets. No one’s heard hide-nor-hair from 69-year-old Democratic nominee former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, while protesters swarm American streets. Hillary blasted Trump for daring in the last debate Oct. 19 he’d wait-and-see before accepting the election’s outcome. Since Trump was certified as winner of the Nov. 8 election, left-wing protests spread like wildfire. Hillary attacked Trump for undermining American democracy but stays mum when it comes to her supporters protesting the elections results. Hillary’s supporters should have protested before the election, not after Trump won the election.
Hillary promised Nov. 9 in a teary concession speech for her supporters to back the new president-elect but has said nothing since protests spread around the country. Protesting the results of free-and-fair elections is un-American, where the U.S. constitutional republic is built on accepting the election’s outcome. Voters understand that the Electoral College, integral to the U.S. Constitution, picks the president, not the popular vote. Hillary won some 400,000 votes more than Trump but lost the Electoral College vote, at least until today, 290 to 228, with 20 more undecided. Hillary needs to step up and tell protesters to settle down, accept the results and back President-Elect Trump. Trump’s transition team includes former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, retired Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn, former New York City Major Rudi Giuliani and Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Al.).
Trump’s biggest challenge during the transition and the first 100 days in office is not letting Party elders to set his agenda. Meeting with President Barack Obama Nov. 10 in the Oval Office, Trump already showed he’s no pushover, realizing the awesome responsibility he’s about to face. Speaking about his first priority of repealing-and-replacing Obamacare, Trump already showed his heart-and-depth, retaining Obamacare’s key provisions of eliminating pre-existing conditions and allowing children to 26 to stay on parents’ plans. Conservatives won’t like any restrictions on the insurance industry, especially eliminating the distinction between individual and group plans. Conservatives in the House and Senate must get used to the fact that Trump’s about improving the lives of U.S. citizens, not scoring points for either political party or for liberals or conservatives.
Trump’s transition teams needs to take their time before filling in the boxes for Cabinet positions. Trump promised during the campaign, above anything else, competent experienced people. Trump’s transition team needs to think twice before making former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin into Secretary of the Interior. Cabinet positions aren’t supposed to reward loyal campaign backers. More than anything, as Trump said many times, competency and experience must rule the day. Looking to Republican National Committee Reince Priebus as White House Chief-of-Staff, shows Trump’s political savvy, knowing his clout on Capitol Hill. When it comes to foreign policy, Trump needs to distinguish himself clearly from Hillary, Obama and other GOP hawks like Sen. John McCain (R-Az.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Trump can’t repeat Hillary and Obama’s mistakes.
Scrambling to fill jobs, Pence needs to take his time finding the right fit for each of the key Cabinet positions. There’s no room for error in any Cabinet positions, especially for State, Justice and Defense Departments. Asked about whether or not Trump would appoint a special prosecutor for Hillary, campaign manager Kellyanne Conway, also in line for a senior White House job, said all options were on the table. When asked about presidential pardons yesterday, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest didn’t rule out a presidential pardon for Hillary. Trump told Hillary in the Oct. 9 debate he’d appoint a special prosecutor to look into her email and Clinton Foundations scandals. Wouldn’t it be ironic if Obama pardons Hillary before filing any charges? Instead of dealing with the left-wing backlash on American streets, Trump should stay laser focused on putting together the best Cabinet ever.
