Trump transition team gives detailed update amid infighting

Published Thu, Nov 17, 2016 · 06:04 AM

[WASHINGTON] US President-elect Donald Trump's transition team gave its first detailed update amid reports of infighting and disorganisation.

In a conference call with reporters on Wednesday night, aides named more than a dozen people who are either candidates for jobs in the Trump administration or were meeting with Mr Trump to provide advice.

The list includes South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who once said Mr Trump represented "everything a governor doesn't want in a president" but more recently has said she looks forward to working with a Republican president and Congress.

Trump spokesmen Sean Spicer and Jason Miller didn't specify to reporters on the call which people were under consideration for administration posts as they named those who met with Mr Trump in New York on Wednesday and are scheduled to visit on Thursday. They said they intend to start giving reporters daily briefings about the transition's progress and the president-elect's schedule.

The transition team has been the subject of news reports about shakeups that have slowed the progress of building the new administration.

Mr Trump last week replaced the head of his transition team, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, with his Vice President-elect Mike Pence, and ousted several other transition members.

Mr Miller said Mr Trump's schedule on Wednesday included meetings with: Georgia Representative Tom Price, who is in the mix for secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services; Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions, a possible Defence secretary or attorney general pick; retired Lieutenant General Mike Flynn, who is in line for a possible national security post; Eva Moskowitz, chief executive officer of New York's largest charter school network; Kansas Representative Mike Pompeo; and hedge-fund manager Steve Feinberg.

Mr Spicer said those scheduled to meet with Trump on Thursday include Ms Haley; Texas Representative Jeb Hensarling, whose name has been floated for Treasury secretary; FedEx Corp CEO Fred Smith; Oracle Corp co-CEO Safra Catz; former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger; Florida Governor Rick Scott; retired General Jack Keane; Navy Admiral Mike Rogers; and former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell.

Mr Spicer said appointees will be required to sign paperwork banning them from lobbying for five years after they leave government.

Mr Trump is seeking to prevent people from using service in government to "enrich themselves," Spicer said.

Mr Miller also said the first wave of transition landing team representatives will be announced on Thursday to meet with the State Department, Justice Department, Department of Defence and National Security Council. Teams for economic policy, domestic policy and independent agencies will be announced next week.

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