President-elect Donald Trump has managed to score an early victory following his resounding win over Vice President Kamala Harris as he continues transitioning into the White House ahead of his formal January 20 inauguration.
Following his victory in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, Donald Trump quickly began asserting his influence. Within days, he called both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to push for a resolution to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He also intervened publicly to block a bloated, Democrat-friendly spending bill he opposed as Congress faced the prospect of a government shutdown.
Trump’s transition team and potential Cabinet members have underscored their preparedness to initiate action immediately, presenting an ambitious plan to tackle a wide array of issues.
Trump and his allies argue that the Republican sweep of the White House and both chambers of Congress gives the president-elect a clear mandate to advance his agenda.
Most Americans agree, apparently: A Gallup poll released on December 27 revealed that Trump enters the new year with a positive approval rating. According to the poll, 51% of Americans approve of how he is managing his transition into power, while 44% disapprove.
Gallup noted that Trump’s approval rating during his 2016 transition was equal to his disapproval rating, making the latest poll an improvement in many areas. However, the pollster highlighted that “all incoming presidents since Bill Clinton had transition approval ratings of at least 61 percent,” with disapproval ratings trailing by 30 points or more.
But those presidents did not enter office with a country as bitterly divided as it has been since Trump’s surprise 2016 victory — divisiveness that has been fueled by entrenched interests in Washington, D.C., and the so-called “uniparty” swamp.
A key difference in Trump’s more positive approval rating this time is stronger support among Republicans, with 97% approving of his transition compared to 86% in 2016.
However, a major factor dampening his overall numbers is the opposition party’s view. Gallup observed that before 2016, about half of opposition party supporters typically approved of a president-elect’s transition. Both Trump and Biden have since faced significant declines in those figures, with Trump’s approval among Democrats now below 20%, Newsweek reported, citing the polling data.
“The American people reelected President Trump by a resounding margin giving him a mandate to implement the promises he made on the campaign trail. He will deliver,” Trump-Vance Transition Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said earlier this month.
Added former Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio: “The Dems got pinned as the status quo party on inflation, instability, insecurity, and every other issue facing working people. Trump was the change candidate in a year when 65 percent of people thought we were on the wrong track.”
Meanwhile, the ‘DC swamp’ continues to try and undermine Trump’s ‘change’ agenda.
William Webster, 100, a Republican who is the only person to have led the FBI and CIA and did so during the terms of late Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, penned a letter late last week warning against confirming Kash Patel to head the FBI and Tulsi Gabbard as the head of National Intelligence.
“While Mr. Patel’s intelligence and patriotism are commendable, his close political alignment with President Trump raises serious concerns about impartiality and integrity,“ Webster said in the letter.
“Statements such as ‘He’s my intel guy’ and his record of executing the president’s directives suggest a loyalty to individuals rather than the rule of law — a dangerous precedent for an agency tasked with impartial enforcement of justice,” the letter continued.
But his issues with Gabbard, a former Democrat representative from Hawaii, were more about her lack of experience.
“Effective management of our intelligence community requires unparalleled expertise to navigate the complexities of global threats and to maintain the trust of allied nations,” the centurian said. “Without that trust, our ability to safeguard sensitive secrets and collaborate internationally is severely diminished. … This is no time in world history for a novice in the field to learn this role.”
The Trump team responded to the concerns by dismissing them in a letter of their own.
“Lt. Col. Gabbard is an active member of the Army and has served in the military for over two decades and in Congress, as someone who has consumed intelligence at the highest levels, including during wartime, she recognizes the importance of partnerships with allies to ensure close coordination to keep the American people safe,” Trump transition spokeswoman Alexa Henning said.
Another spokesperson, Alex Pfeiffer, mentioned that Patel has previously worked for a Democrat administration.
“Kash Patel is loyal to the Constitution. He’s worked under Presidents Obama and Trump in key national security roles,” he said.
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