Over the past week, President-elect Donald J. Trump has been feverishly working with his transition team to put together a cabinet and other high-ranking White House officials before he is sworn in next year.
While Trump has staffed his team with top supporters and conservatives, one group of people will not be joining Trump at the table: lobbyists. Vice President Mike Pence, who last week replaced New Jersey Governor Chris Christie as the head of Trump’s transition team, has ordered the removal of all lobbyists, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Prior to Pence leading Trump’s transition team, the incoming administration had been criticized for working with lobbyists and other D.C. insiders whose views ran counter to Trump’s “drain the swamp” message during the campaign.
In addition to the removal of all lobbyists from the transition team, Tuesday saw another major shakeup within Team Trump as former Congressman Mike Rogers, who had been on the short list for CIA Director, was “ousted from the Trump transitions team’s national security unit.” In addition, “Matthew Freedman, who was leading the group’s planning for the White House National Security Council, also departed.”
Mike Rogers was removed from the team because of his close ties to Governor Christie and when the New Jersey Governor was replaced as the head of Trump’s transition team, his closest supporters and advisers left as well.
While members of the liberal media have tried to play up supposed infighting within the Trump administration, the president-elect sent out a strong message via Twitter Tuesday night:
Very organized process taking place as I decide on Cabinet and many other positions. I am the only one who knows who the finalists are!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 16, 2016
It appears as though Trump will rely heavily on Vice President Mike Pence during the transition process as the former Indiana Governor has close ties to both Washington and the Republican Party. Pence was smart to remove any and all lobbyists from Trump’s transition team, as they represented the old Washington establishment that the president-elect has railed against for more than a year.
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Do you support Pence’s decision to remove all lobbyists from the transition team? Was it wise for him to replace Chris Christie as the head of the transition team? Share your thoughts with us below!