Donald Trump named his transition team Friday and named former Small Business Administration director Linda McMahon and Howard Lutnick, chairman and CEO of financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald, as co-chairs. The former president’s vice presidential nominee, Sen. JD Vance (R-OH), and Trump’s sons Eric and Don Jr. will serve as honorary chairs.
Although this move could be seen as a sign of Trump’s confidence in his chances in the presidential election, the appointment of a transition team is also required under federal law. The Republican candidate’s opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, is expected to name her team soon.
The former president said they would get to work immediately:
In a written statement, Trump Senior wrote: “I have absolute confidence that the Trump-Vance administration will be ready to govern effectively on day one.”
Trump said his transition team would work to implement an agenda that includes tax cuts, mass deportations of migrants, expanding the U.S. energy industry and strengthening ties between non-political government officials and the White House.
Author Paul Ingrassia published his agreement with the announcement:
President Trump told me yesterday in Bedminster, “I think we’re doing pretty well!”
The election campaign is in full swing, the transition team announced today is absolutely phenomenal, and America is ready for a second Trump administration!
On to victory! pic.twitter.com/9aty3hbBGk
— Paul Ingrassia (@PaulIngrassia) 16 August 2024
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The team will begin identifying potential personnel for a Trump White House and laying the groundwork for achieving his goals if and when he takes office.
The co-chairs of the Trump transition administration … will oversee efforts to identify and vet potential political candidates and draft executive orders and other plans to implement Mr. Trump’s policy proposals, including a comprehensive crackdown on immigration and raising tariffs on imported goods.
The New York Times probably hoped he would choose people close to Project 2025, which liberals have desperately tried to link Trump to, but it was disappointed:
It was also striking that neither Mrs McMahon nor Mr Lutnick were associated with Project 2025an effort by a consortium of conservative organizations to develop personnel and policy transition plans for the next Republican president. Although Mr. Trump has close ties to the leaders of this effort, he has recently tried to distance yourself from it as Democrats have embraced some of their more radical proposals.
Interestingly, the team will not work at the expense of the government:
A Trump team representative who was not authorized to speak publicly about the power transition said the effort would not apply the office space and computers the federal government provides for power transitions but would be conducted entirely with private funds through a tax-exempt group the campaign set up. The representative did not answer questions about why, but Mr. Trump has repeatedly expressed his distrust of the Biden administration and its attitude toward him.
A astute move, considering the Biden administration has regularly demonstrated its willingness to apply the Justice Department as a weapon against its political opponents.
We’ll soon see who Kamala Harris will put on her team, but her campaign seems to be moving further to the left with each passing day, so it’s unthreatening to assume it will be full of extreme progressives.
Congratulations to my friend and colleague @Linda_McMahon for election to President Trump’s transition team as co-chair! She is a truly wonderful person and will make America proud 🇺🇸
Review (for fun)! pic.twitter.com/iY7WYn95hM
— Luke J. Lindberg (@TheUSA) 16 August 2024
