Donald Trump announced his Presidential Transition Team Executive Committee on Friday, November 11, and the list includes his children Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump. (A transition team is put in place with every new incoming president to ensure that the transfer of power happens smoothly.)
Other bold-faced names who will join him as part of the executive committee include Ivanka’s husband, Jared Kushner, RNC chairman Reince Priebus and venture capitalist Peter Thiel, who earlier this year revealed that he had funded a lawsuit against blog network Gawker Media.
Rebekah Mercer, a Republican donor; Stephen K. Bannon, Trump’s campaign chairman and conservative news organization Breitbart News’ executive chairman; Tennessee Representative Marsha Blackburn; Pennsylvania Congressman Lou Barletta; New York Congressman Chris Collins; Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi; Pennsylvania Congressman Tom Marino; banker and producer Steven Mnuchin; California Congressman Devin Nunes and entrepreneur Anthony Scaramucci round out the team.
The New York Times also announced Friday that vice president–elect Mike Pence will helm the team, taking over for Governor Chris Christie, who previously led the transition effort. Christie will instead serve as vice chair to the transition, alongside avid Trump supporter and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Republican presidential hopeful Ben Carson, Newt Gingrich, retired lieutenant general Michael T. Flynn and Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions.
According to The New York Times, Trump, 70, told his advisers that he wanted to capitalize on Pence’s Washington experience and contacts, hence the change in leadership.
One day earlier, on Thursday, November 10, the president-elect met with President Barack Obama at the White House for a sit-down chat during which they shook hands and discussed the transfer of power in months to come.
“We talked about some of the organizational issues in setting up a White House,” Obama told the press following their private discussion. “We talked about foreign policy. We talked about domestic policy. And, as I said last night, my No. 1 priority in the coming two months is to try to facilitate a transition that ensures our president-elect is successful.”
Trump expressed his thoughts on the meeting as well. “This was a meeting that was maybe going to last for 10 or 15 minutes. We were just going to get to know each other. We had never met each other. I have great respect,” he told reporters. “The meeting lasted for almost an hour and a half. And it could’ve, as far as I’m concerned, it could have gone on for a lot longer. We discussed a lot of different situations, some wonderful and some difficulties. I very much look forward to dealing with the president in the future, including counsel.”
