In an apparent show of contempt for both the federal bureaucracy and standard protocol, President-elect Donald Trump is defying virtually every norm of presidential transitions, from coordinating with federal agencies to background-checking the candidates for top administration jobs. Trump’s transition team is operating entirely from Mar-a-Lago, the Washington Post reported Tuesday, and has yet to “set foot in a single federal office.” The team also hasn’t worked with the General Services Administration—the logistics hub for the federal government—because Trump has reportedly not turned in a required ethics pledge that explains how he’ll navigate personal conflicts of interest.
The GSA is just one of the agencies Trump has apparently iced out as he readies his second administration: The Post reports that the president-elect has also declined to use the State Department’s secure telephone lines and interpreters, and has eschewed the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s security clearance system. House Democrats, alarmed by this last “innovation” in particular, proposed legislation on Tuesday that would require Executive Office employees to receive FBI security clearances, or disclose to Congress when they didn’t. But that bill has little chance of moving forward, and it’s unclear what its practical effect would be either way: Once he’s back in office, Trump will again have the power to dole out security clearances as he sees fit, regardless of what the FBI (or anyone else) thinks.
At present, Trump has delegated the job of vetting some candidates for cabinet positions and other high-ranking staff jobs to private lawyer Stanley Woodward, who is perhaps best known for his work representing former Trump aides and January 6 rioters. Other appointees are not being vetted at all, the Post reports, which might explain how Trump has nominated multiple candidates with considerable baggage, such as former Representatives Tulsi Gabbard and Matt Gaetz, as well as former Fox News host Pete Hegseth.
Trump is now daring the Senate to approve those candidates, despite their documented objections. He’s also considering signing that required ethics and conflict-of-interest pledge, a transition spokesman said. Until he does, though, the Trump transition team can’t receive formal briefings, enter federal agencies or speak with government staff. Not a great look for an administration that has vowed to reshape federal policy from its very first day in office.
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