The first month of Donald Trump’s transition was just as chaotic as his first four years in office. Trump’s team refused to take part in basic ethical agreements for weeks, skipped normal FBI vetting of administration hires and nominees, and declined to accept federal transition assistance, raising potential unprecedented national security concerns.
Even before Election Day, Trump’s transition chief and choice for commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, was accused of mixing his business interests with his duties standing up a potential administration.
Trump’s long-time advisor Boris Epshteyn was accused of charging as much as $100,000 per month in exchange for promoting candidates for administration positions or offering to connect individuals with people in the upcoming administration relevant to their industries.
Trump’s attempts to fill his cabinet haven’t gone well either. Just eight days after Trump announced Matt Gaetz as his choice for Attorney General, Gaetz was forced to withdraw his name in disgrace as several members of Congress called for the release of a House Committee Ethics report after Gaetz allegedly engaged in sex with a minor and violated federal sex trafficking laws.
After Trump announced Pete Hegseth as his choice to lead the Department of Defense, Hegseth’s lawyer confirmed that a woman was paid not to go public with claims of sexual assault against his client. Reports also surfaced that Hegseth was removed from leadership positions in two different veterans groups due to his binge drinking and personal misconduct on the job. The nomination is already in such deep jeopardy that Trump is considering replacing Hegseth with bitter political rival Ron Desantis.
Trump’s choice to lead the Department of Education, Linda McMahon, was sued for allegedly knowingly enabling the sexual exploitation of children by a World Wrestling Entertainment employee for decades.
Trump’s nominee to head the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., was accused of sexually assaulting his children’s babysitter, a crime he chalked up to a “rambunctious youth” despite being 45 years old at the time.
Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s pick for Director of National Intelligence, is facing criticism from officials on both sides of the aisle for her support for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Even Gabbard’s former aides question whether the Kremlin has compromised her and if she can be trusted with national intelligence.
Chad Chronister, Trump’s pick to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration, withdrew his name from consideration just three days after his selection noting the “gravity” of the position. Chronister had no real experience in the kinds of complex international investigations routinely conducted by the DEA.
Trump’s choice for White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, was revealed to have deleted a Twitter post praising Mike Pence for his actions on January 6th – undermining Trump’s long-held big lie.
It was also revealed that Donald Trump’s choice for U.S. ambassador to NATO, Matt Whitaker, said back in 2014 that Russia’s seizure of Crimea wasn’t a threat to “vital” U.S. interests.
Several figures in Trump’s orbit are reportedly frustrated by the presence and influence of Elon Musk, and reports surfaced that Vivek Ramaswamy spent years attacking Musk for his ties to China. Trump tapped Musk and Ramaswamy to lead the fake “department” of government efficiency.
“The chaos of Donald Trump’s transition to the White House can only be matched by the chaos of his first term. Trump is only a month into building his administration, but his rich friends, who don’t like each other, are already fighting for influence and power. Trump’s turmoil goes beyond Mar-a-Lago. On Capitol Hill, his team is struggling to secure Republican Senate support for his most extreme, controversial, and dangerous appointees,” said American Bridge 21st Century spokesperson Brandon Weathersby. “What is worse is that the true MAGA mayhem hasn’t even begun. Whether it is his costly plan to deport millions of undocumented people, his incoming administration’s stated intentions to destroy Medicare and Social Security, or his extreme promise to pardon violent January 6th insurrectionists, Trump is promising sweeping changes to the federal government on day one that will undoubtedly lead to more clashes with both Congress and the courts and create pain for hard-working Americans.”
Published: Dec 5, 2024 | Last Modified: Dec 30, 2024