Donald Trump who is returning to the White House soon, will require building an entirely new administration to replace President Joe Biden’s team. His advisors suggest this administration will look very different from the one he formed after his 2016 election win.
The president-elect has a 75-day transition duration to establish his administration before January 20, Inauguration Day. A crucial task involves appointing approximately 4,000 political positions, with individuals specifically selected by Trump’s organisation.
These appointments range from the secretary of state and Cabinet department heads to part-time members of various boards and commissions. Approximately 1,200 of these presidential appointments require Senate confirmation, a process expected to proceed smoothly under Republican Senate control.
What to expect in Trump’s transition process
Though the administration will undergo a complete overhaul, Trump is no stranger to this process. With prior experience in building his first-term administration, he has concrete plans for adjustments and new strategies this time around.
Several potential appointments have been mentioned.
At his early Wednesday victory celebration, Trump indicated that former presidential candidate and anti-vaccination advocate Robert Kennedy Jr. would be appointed to “help make America healthy again”, stating “we’re going to let him go to it.” Prior to the election, Trump remained receptive to Kennedy’s opposition to fluoridated water. Additionally, Trump intends to appoint South African-born Elon Musk, a vocal campaign supporter, as secretary of federal “cost-cutting”. The Tesla CEO suggests he can identify trillions in government expenditure reductions.
The transition extends beyond appointments. Presidents-elect typically receive intelligence briefings daily or nearly daily during this period.
In 2008, President George W. Bush personally informed President-elect Barack Obama about US covert operations. During the 2016 transition, Obama’s national security adviser, Susan Rice, briefed Michael Flynn, her designated successor. However, in 2020, Trump’s election result challenges delayed the transition process, with presidential briefings for Biden commencing on November 30.
Who’s supporting Trump in his transition
The transition for Donald Trump is primarily being managed by a close circle of family and allies. This includes Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard, alongside Trump’s adult sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, as well as his running mate, JD Vance. Co-chairing the transition are Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick and Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term.
According to Lutnick, the current transition differs significantly from 2016’s effort, which Chris Christie initially led. Following his victory eight years ago, Trump dismissed Christie, discarded his transition plans, and assigned the responsibility to then-Vice President-elect Mike Pence.
Trump’s initial Cabinet included conventional Republicans and business executives who eventually disappointed him or publicly disagreed with him. For his potential second term, Trump has emphasised loyalty as a key criterion, suggesting appointments more aligned with his ideological positions and distinctive leadership approach.
Unlike Kamala Harris’s campaign, Trump’s team hasn’t established pre-Election Day transition arrangements with the General Services Administration, the federal government’s property manager. Consequently, they’ve missed deadlines for arranging office space, technical support, and agency access, including documentation and facilities.
What the previous transition processes look like
The 2020 transition was delayed as Trump contested the election results with unsubstantiated voter fraud claims. Emily Murphy, the Trump-appointed GSA head, delayed formally recognising Biden’s victory until Trump’s legal challenges failed in key states. Trump subsequently indicated his administration’s willingness to cooperate via social media.
The Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022 now requires transition processes to begin five days post-election, regardless of result disputes. This eliminates the need for GSA’s formal acknowledgement to initiate transition support services.
The 2000 election dispute between George W. Bush and Al Gore lasted five weeks until Supreme Court intervention, leaving Bush limited time to manage the transition from Clinton’s administration. This abbreviated transition period potentially contributed to security vulnerabilities preceding the September 11 attacks.
