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Trump Presidential Transition Thread
Topic Started: Nov 9 2016, 10:16 PM (716 Views)
Webster
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Now that the election is over and we have a President-elect, it is time to follow the transition from Obama to Trump.....

.....God save the Republic. :devil1:
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Webster
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--Bernie Sanders & Elizabeth Warren issue statement slamming Trump's decision on Mnuchin for Treasury nominee as "hypocrisy at its worst." (Chris Geidner, Buzzfeed News - 30 Nov. 2016)
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Webster
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Reason: Trump To Nominate Gen. James Mattis To Defense Post

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President-elect Donald Trump says he will nominate retired Gen. James Mattis as defense secretary, CNN and the AP report. Mattis retired from the Marines in May 2013, last serving as the head of U.S. Central Command, responsible for military operations in the wider Middle East, from Egypt to Kazakhstan.

Mattis served in the first Persian Gulf war, the Iraq war and the Afghanistan war, and was involved in developing the counter-insurgency strategy in Iraq. "They want us to become racist and to hate every Iraqi," Mattis told troops in 2007, according to a Los Angeles Times profile at the time. "You're going to be tested, and there are going to be some tough times."

"Every time you wave at an Iraqi civilian, Al Qaeda rolls over in its grave," he told them.

If Trump does nominate Mattis, the Congress would have to grant him an exemption—a 1947 law prohibits any former member of the military from serving as defense secretary who had not been retired for at least seven years. Only George Marshall, who served as defense secretary under Harry Truman from 1950 to 1951, after serving as secretary of state from 1947 to 1949.

Earlier this year, Mattis was floated as a potential independent presidential candidate. "It's been going on for 15 months. Since coming back from overseas, this is more of a foreign country than the places overseas," Mattis said, according to Military.com. "I don't understand it. It's like America has lost faith in rational thought."

Mattis was replaced at Central Command in 2013. He reportedly didn't get a phone call ahead of the announcement about his being replaced as head of Central Command, although a spokesman for the Pentagon said at the time Mattis was aware he would be replaced and by who. Mattis was believed to have been replaced because his views on the threat Iran pose didn't match the Obama administration's.

"Nothing I believe is as serious in the long term in enduring ramifications in terms of stability, and prosperity and some hope for a better future for the young people out there than Iran," Mattis argued earlier this year at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "It remains the single most belligerent actor in the Middle East."

Nevertheless, he was not in favor of discarding the Iran nuclear deal. "We are going to have to recognize that we have an imperfect arms control agreement," he argued. "What we achieved was a nuclear pause, not a nuclear halt. We're going to have to plan for the worst."

Mattis was also a supporter of Secretary of State John Kerry's efforts at an Israeli-Palestinian peace process, saying Kerry was "focused like a laser beam" and that a two-state solution was a priority.

"I paid a military security price every day as the commander of CentCom because the Americans were seen as biased in support of Israel," Mattis said at a security forum in Aspen in 2013, shortly after retiring, "and that moderates all the moderate Arabs who want to be with us, because they can't come out publicly in support of people who don't show respect for the Arab Palestinians."

In 2010, Mattis was profiled in Slate for a series on risk-taking. He was described as an "evangelist for risk" driven by two principles: The first is that intellectual risk-taking will save the military bureaucracy from itself. Only by rewarding nonconformist innovators will the services develop solutions that match the threats conceived by an enemy that always adapts. The second is that technology cannot eliminate, and sometimes can't even reduce, risk. Mattis warns about the limitations of sophisticated weapons and communications. They can be seductive, luring military planners into forgetting war's unpredictable and risky nature, leaving troops vulnerable.

An announcement about secretary of state may be made soon too—former U.S. ambassador to the U.N John Bolton meets with Trump tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the Obama administration is working hard to expand the executive branch's power to wage war around the world before handing the White House over to the Trump administration.
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Webster
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(Reddit r/Conservative: Our New Secretary of Defense - USMC Gen. James "Mad Dog" Mattis)
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Global Cocktails: VP-Elect Mike Pence's Neighbors Welcome Him With Rainbow Flags
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As Mike Pence prepares to enter the White House, his new neighbors in Washington D.C. are making their stances clear by hanging rainbow flags outside their houses.

The VP-elect is currently renting a house in Chevy Chase, a swanky part of town, and won’t move into the official governmental residence until he takes office. Yesterday, Suzanne Kennedy from ABC 7 posted a picture of rainbow flags cropping up around the neighborhood, and CNN confirmed that there were about half a dozen flags on the street.

Pence is notoriously anti-LGBT; this will be a vice president who believes in gay conversion therapy and criticizes transgender bathroom rights. The flags make a tasteful yet direct statement: that Pence’s anti-LGBT ideas are not welcome. Local resident Ilse Heintzen called the display “a respectful message showing, in my case, my disagreement with some of his thinking.”

This also isn’t the first time Pence has faced public defiance against his policies; recently, the cast of Broadway hit Hamilton addressed Pence directly after the show, expressing their hopes that the VP will “uphold our American values and to work on behalf of all of us.”
-Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/01/politics/mike-pence-rainbow-flags/

:pride: :usa: :pride:
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Webster
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CNN: Trump Names Ben Carson For HUD Secretary
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(CNN)Ben Carson will be nominated as the next secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Trump transition team announced Monday. "I am thrilled to nominate Dr. Ben Carson as our next Secretary of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development," President-elect Donald Trump said in a statement. "Ben Carson has a brilliant mind and is passionate about strengthening communities and families within those communities."

During their primary fight, though, Trump had derided Carson as "super low energy" and delivered a number of sharp attacks on Twitter, questioning Carson's temperament and qualifications for office.

"With Ben Carson wanting to hit his mother on head with a hammer, stab a friend and Pyramids built for grain storage - don't people get it?" Trump tweeted in November of 2015, when he and Carson were still rivals. At a rally in Fort Dodge, Iowa, the same month, Trump had delivered a similarly blistering attack on Carson.

"If you're a child molester, a sick puppy, a child molester, there's no cure for that. There's only one cure, and we don't want to talk about that cure, that's the ultimate cure. No there's two, there's death and the other thing. But if you're a child molester, there's no cure, they can't stop you. Pathological, there's no cure," Trump said.

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan praised Carson's nomination for HUD secretary. "@RealBenCarson is a great choice for @HUDgov. A shining example of overcoming poverty, he will put focus on dignity rather than dependence," Ryan tweeted.

But Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings, the Democratic ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, slammed the pick, calling Carson "woefully unqualified."

"[Trump] has no selected someone woefully unqualififed to run the Department of Housing and Urban Development. During his time in Baltimore, Dr. Ben Carson was a phenomenal neurosurgeon, but he has no experience developing housing policy affecting tens of millions of households or running a complex federal agency, as his own spokesman admitted just last month," the Maryland representative said in a statement.

Cummings was referencing reports that Carson rejected a previous offer from Trump to be the next secretary of Health and Human services because he felt he was too inexperienced to run a federal agency, according to longtime aide Armstrong Williams. Responding to those reports, Williams had said, "He's never run an agency and it's a lot to ask. He's a neophyte and that's not his strength."
-Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/05/politics/ben-carson-hud-secretary-nomination/index.html
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Webster
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RT: Trump Vows To End Overseas Intervention, Rebuild 'Depleted' Military

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Donald Trump has laid out a military policy which he says is aimed at ending “intervention and chaos” overseas. He promised to build up the “depleted” military, but said it would be done with prevention in mind, rather than aggression.

Speaking at the latest stop on his “thank you” tour of swing states, President-elect Donald Trump told a crowd in Fayetteville, North Carolina that he wants to “strengthen old friendships and seek out new friendships,” stressing that the US will “stop racing to topple foreign regimes that we know nothing about, that we shouldn’t be involved with.”

“We don’t want to have a depleted military because we’re all over the place fighting in areas that we shouldn’t be fighting in. It’s not going to be depleted any longer,” he said during the Tuesday event.

He spoke of the need to spend money “on ourselves” rather than continuing to run up an extremely costly tab in the Middle East.

“We’ve spent, at last count, $6 trillion in the Middle East, and our roads have potholes all over, our highways are falling apart, our bridges are falling, our tunnels are no good, our airports are horrible like third world countries,” Trump said. “We’re going to start spending on ourselves, but we’ve got to be so strong militarily like we’ve never ever been before.”

Although Trump vowed to build up the “depleted” military, he said it would be done “not as an act of aggression, but as an act of prevention. In short, we seek peace through strength,” he said.

He went on to stress that the focus of the US military should be on defeating terrorism and destroying Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL), promising that the goal would be achieved under his administration.

Also on Tuesday, US President Barack Obama took a much different stance during his final national security speech, defending his legacy of fighting IS – despite continuous criticism by Trump.

“Today the results are clear,” Obama said, crediting the US-led coalition of countries battling IS, and claiming that it has lost more than half its territory and faces a dwindling recruitment effort.

Trump has been critical of Obama’s approach towards IS, claiming he is waging a “politically correct” war against the terrorist group, and criticizing his refusal to use the words “radical Islamic terrorism” after the Orlando massacre.

The president-elect also accused Obama of being the “founder of ISIS” at a Fort Lauderdale, Florida rally in August.

“In fact, in many respects, you know, they honor President Obama. ISIS is honoring President Obama. He is the founder of ISIS. He’s the founder of ISIS, OK?” he said at the time.

Trump’s Tuesday comments were made during the latest stop of his “thank you” tour of swing states which were vital to his win. He will continue the tour in Iowa and Michigan later this week.
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Webster
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Current 1st Trump Administration Cabinet-to-be....
--Treasury: Fmr. Goldman Sachs CEO Steven Mnuchin
--Defense: Gen. James Mattis, USMC Ret.
--Atty.Gen: Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL)
--Commerce: Business magnate Wilbur Ross
--HUD: Dr. Ben Carson
--HHS: Rep. Tom Price (R-GA)
--Education: Betsy DeVos
--DHS: Gen. John Kelly, USMC Ret.
--WH Chief of Staff: RNC Chairman Reince Priebus
--EPA: OK Atty.Gen. Scott Pruett
--U.S. Amb. to the United Nations: SC Gov. Nikki Haley
--SBA Admin.: WWE executive Linda McMahon
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Los Angeles Times: In Iowa, Trump Signals More Carrier-Style Deals

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Is there more where the Carrier deal came from?

President-elect Donald Trump said Thursday he had been calling other U.S. companies that were preparing to send American jobs overseas, and had been having “success” in changing their minds.

“I said, ‘Give me a list of 10 companies that are leaving.’ And I actually love calling these companies,” Trump said at his latest “thank you” rally in Des Moines.

Trump and his transition team offered Indiana-based Carrier Corp. incentives to keep some of its workforce from leaving the state.

Critics, including some conservatives, have questioned the specific terms of the deal -- which included a mix of state tax incentives and the threat of new tariffs -- and the precedent set with such a direct intervention in a single business' decision-making. Still, it’s been a political winner in some surveys.

Here’s how Trump described his recent calls with senior executives of the companies on his list:

“I say, ‘Hi, how you doing.’

" 'Oh, hello, Mr. President-elect. Congratulations.’

" 'Yeah, congratulations. By the way, while we’re on the phone, don’t leave. Please don’t leave. Please.’ ”

Trump then told the crowd: “We’ve had great success. You’ll be seeing a lot more success.”

His promise, without specifics, for repeat performances of the Carrier deal came as he formally announced in Iowa’s capital that he intended to send the state’s long-serving governor, Terry Branstad, to Beijing as his next ambassador to China.

“I can’t tell you how many people wanted that position,” Trump said. “You go over there, you live like a king. But he’s not looking to live like a king.”

Citing Branstad’s extensive experience with China, which included hosting its president, Xi Jinping, in the state years ago, as well as living in China decades before as an exchange student, Trump said Branstad would deliver for the U.S. as he’s delivered for the state.

“With Terry on our side, I know we will succeed in bringing our jobs back, and I also know that China, who’s been so tough and so competitive and frankly dealing with people that didn’t get it, but I’ll tell you what, we’re going to have mutual respect,” Trump said. “We’re going to have mutual respect. China’s going to benefit, and we’re going to benefit. And Terry’s going to lead the way.”
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Reuters: Trump Offers Goldman Sachs Exec Cohn Key Economic Position

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U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has asked senior Goldman Sachs (GS.N) banker Gary Cohn to coordinate economic policy across his administration, turning to Wall Street for expertise in managing the world's largest economy, NBC News reported on Friday.

Trump's pick of Cohn, 56, the firm's president and chief operating officer, to head his White House National Economic Council marks the third time he has tapped an alum of the major investment bank for a senior role in his administration.

The NEC coordinates economic policy across federal agencies and if Cohn takes the post, he will follow Robert Rubin and Stephen Friedman, two other one-time Goldman executives who served in that role.

The choice would rob Goldman of the man widely seen as heir apparent to Chief Executive Officer Lloyd Blankfein and may give rise to a new group of leaders at the bank, most of whom have spent more than 20 years there.

A Goldman Sachs spokesman was not immediately available for comment.
-Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-cohn-idUSKBN13Y1YD?il=0
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USA Today: McMorris Rodgers To Be Interior Secretary

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President-elect Donald Trump is expected to nominate Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington as his secretary of Interior, a source close to the transition told USA TODAY Friday.

The timing of the announcement of Rodgers' selection has not been determined, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because transition officials were not authorized to speak publicly about the nomination.

McMorris Rodgers is chair of the House Republican Conference, which makes her the fourth highest-ranking Republican in the House and the highest-ranking GOP woman in Congress.

News of the pick was swiftly criticized by environmentalists.

League of Conservation Voters President Gene Karpinski said the selection amounted to "a massive 'for sale' sign on our public lands."

"McMorris Rodgers has been part of the Republican leadership of the most anti-environmental House of Representatives in history, and she has an abysmal 4% lifetime score on LCV’s National Environmental Scorecard. She simply should not be put in charge of stewarding America’s wildlife, national parks and other majestic landscapes," Karpinski continued.

"At best, Trump can delay the inevitable clean energy revolution, but he can’t stop it. McMorris Rodgers is clearly not the right choice for a 21st century Department of Interior that will steward public lands on behalf of the American people," Greenpeace spokesman Travis Nichols said.
-Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/2016/12/09/mcmorris-rodgers-trumps-interior-pick/95197748/
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DrLeftover
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Wait a minute....


I haven't seen the schedule for the first Slave Auction.

When will the concentration camp for Gays be opened?

Are they looking for volunteers for the firing squads for Abortion Doctors yet?

Weren't we promised by various commentators like Al Sharpton and Tavis Smiley that these things were sure to happen if Trump was elected.


.

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Webster
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DrLeftover
Dec 9 2016, 03:36 PM
Wait a minute....


I haven't seen the schedule for the first Slave Auction.

When will the concentration camp for Gays be opened?

Are they looking for volunteers for the firing squads for Abortion Doctors yet?

Weren't we promised by various commentators like Al Sharpton and Tavis Smiley that these things were sure to happen if Trump was elected.


.

*reads Doc's question at end of comment* Yeah...and like most things, Al & Jesse are once more talking out of their ass.
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CNBC: Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson Expected To Be Named SecState

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Donald Trump is expected to nominate Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson as his secretary of state, two sources close to the transition process told NBC News on Saturday.

Tillerson, 64, became president of the Texas-based oil company in 2004 and has a close business relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He has spent his entire career at the company now known as Exxon Mobil.

The sources cautioned that nothing is final until the president-elect officially announces it, likely next week.
-Read more: http://www.cnbc.com/2016/12/10/rex-tillerson-of-exxon-mobile-expected-to-be-named-trumps-secretary-of-state-sources.html
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Washington Post: Perry, Manchin & Washburne Most Likely Picks For Energy Post

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President-elect Trump is looking at former Texas governor Rick Perry, Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) and Texas businessman Ray Washburne to head the Energy Department, according to individuals briefed on the matter.

While Trump has not made a final decision, those three are now the finalists for the post, according to these individuals. They asked for anonymity because a formal announcement or decision has not yet been made.

All three men are supporters of expanding fossil fuel production, and would likely shift the priorities of a department that has promoted renewable energy and curbs on greenhouse gas emissions linked to climate change during President Obama’s time in office. While both Perry and Manchin are veteran politicians, Washburne is a successful restaurant and real estate magnate who would represent an unorthodox pick for the Cabinet post.

Manchin, who arrived at Trump Tower Monday afternoon to meet with the president-elect, told reporters afterward, “We had a good conversation,” but did not elaborate beyond that. The West Virginian, a moderate who has served as a bridge between the two parties while in the Senate, spent six years as his home state’s governor before winning a special election in 2010 for the seat of the late Sen. Robert C. Byrd.

Manchin is a staunch supporter of coal mining and has frequently criticized the Obama administration’s efforts to impose limits on carbon dioxide emissions from power plants as well as stricter environmental regulations on coal mining. While he has expressed frustration in the past about congressional gridlock, he announced last spring he would run for reelection in 2018. “They’re looking for somebody in the middle,” he said in an interview on MSNBC at the time. “They need six of me to make something work.”

If he were tapped that would open a vacancy in a state where Republicans have a widening advantage over Democrats, though the state’s Democratic governor would initially appoint Manchin’s successor.

Perry — who is slated to meet with Trump Monday evening — focused more on oil and gas production during his 14 years as Texas governor, given the rich resources the state boasts. Ironically, the Energy Department was central to the 2012 gaffe that ended his first presidential bid: After declaring that he wanted to eliminate three federal agencies during a presidential debate in Michigan, he froze after mentioning the Commerce and Education Department. “The third one, I can’t. Sorry. Oops,” he said. Later during the debate, Perry offered, “By the way, that was the Department of Energy I was reaching for a while ago.”

Speaking to reporters once the event was over, he said, “The bottom line is I may have forgotten Energy, but I haven’t forgotten my conservative principles, and that’s what this campaign is really going to be about.”

Washburne, a GOP fundraiser who served as vice chairman of the Trump Victory Committee, is both the co-founder of MCrowd Restaurant Group and CEO of Charter Holdings, a real estate investment company. A former chair of the Republican National Committee, Washburne met with Trump in New York last month and chairs the transition’s Commerce Department landing team.[/quote[-Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/12/12/perry-manchin-and-washburne-are-top-finalists-for-trumps-energy-pick-people-briefed-on-the-list-say/?utm_term=.7cea34b749ce
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