President-elect Donald Trump began work November 9, the day following the election. To date, Senator Jeff Sessions was tapped for Attorneys General. A capable and accomplished litigator, Sessions, more importantly, has the right posture on immigration and border security. Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, nearly a mainstay on the Trump rally circuit, was offered the job of national security advisor. Flynn is very intelligent, articulate, and knowledgeable of treats that face our security. Trump, however, has made some other choices, and indicated other actions, that have rattled some cages of his supporters and have some panicking.
Trump picked South Carolina governor Nikki Haley as ambassador to the United Nations. Haley was sharply critical of Trump during his campaign, but she is a competent republican governor, and if she accepts, she accepts Trump’s agenda. For U.S. Secretary of Education, Trump selected Common Core supporter Betsy DeVos, but DeVos also is a charter school supporter, and no matter what her previous stand on Common Core, it’s obvious that working for Trump means dismantling it (and she’s right on charter).
The most concerning outreached branch form the Trump transition team was the one extended to Mitt Romney for possible secretary of state. Romney conducted one of the most strident, vitriolic campaigns against a Trump presidency out there. To many, he is a globalist sell-out, and public enemy number one. One thing to consider is there is a lot of clamming down that needs to take place for the smooth transition to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Being willing to work with one’s harshest critics allays fears of unbridled extremism. But, again, anyone accepting a job from Trump is accepting that they are promoting his agenda. And, too, perhaps this maxim will apply to a few of Trump’s applicants: keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.
The most controversial message to be signaled from Trump is his apparent reluctance now to go after Hillary Clinton on what are obvious violations of federal law. Big violations that may reach as high as treason. Things to remember here: Clinton won the popular vote in the harshest fought race in modern political history. Trump softening his rhetoric here also calms things down for a smooth transition, and put the focus on the other enormous challenges facing America where President Trump must make bold moves. And never lose sight of the fact that it would be the Attorneys General who would go after Clinton, and if another bombshell dropped that was so blatant and so stunning as to demand an accounting, the account would eventually be settled. That bombshell could already be falling, and when it hits is will look like the DOJ simply had no choice but to charger her. This much for sure, Trump has proven himself to be a genius. Don’t panic.
