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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2016/nov/16/donald-trump-transition-team-president-us-politics-live
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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Trump: transition is going 'so smoothly' despite reports of disorder – politics live | Trump: transition is going 'so smoothly' despite reports of disorder – politics live |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| 3.16pm GMT | |
| 15:16 | |
| Daily transition parade at Trump tower begins anew | |
| From your long-suffering transition pool: | |
| Trump advance team director George Gigicos arrived at 9:40. Reporters asked what he’s doing today. | |
| “I don’t know I’m just getting here,” Gigicos said. | |
| Trump campaign COO Eli Miller arrived at 9:43. He did not respond to questions from reporters. | |
| Steve Mnuchin, a member of the transition team executive committee and possible pick for treasury secretary, arrived shortly afterwards and spoke to reporters. | |
| Mnuchin said he and Trump had “talked about taxes.” | |
| “I think the other thing — very big focus — is regulatory changes, looking at the creation of an infrastructure bank to fund infrastructure investments. So, there’s a lot of things to do and I’d say the economic priorities are clearly taxes, regulatory, trade, and infrastructure.” | |
| Mnuchin later added: | |
| “Right now we’re just still in the planning stages, as you can see, we want to be in a position where in the first 100 days we can execute the economic plan.” | |
| Mnuchin was also asked when the transition team would hold a press conference. He said he was “not commenting.” Mnuchin was also asked about staffing and when Trump would announce an economic team. | |
| “I’m really focused on the policies right now and getting things done,” Mnuchin said. | |
| Senator Jeff Sessions arrived at Trump Tower at about 10:02 am toting a rolling suitcase. | |
| He was asked if there would be any announcements today. | |
| “I don’t think so,” Sessions said. | |
| Kellyanne Conway arrived at about 10:07 am. She walked over to the elevators from somewhere within Trump Tower. Conway declined to come over and speak to the press though she waved and gave a thumbs up. | |
| Updated | |
| at 3.17pm GMT | |
| 3.08pm GMT | |
| 15:08 | |
| We don’t know that Trump will use the White House to enrich himself and his family and cronies, but anyone who has observed how he pays taxes or runs his foundation and casinos and businesses, or who has come face-to-face with the fact that for Trump, nothing is absolute – contracts, facts, settled history, videotaped incidents, your hand in front of your face – any such person might see a serious potential for corruption ahead: | |
| The coming orgy of corruption isn't an alternative to Trump's authoritarianism, it's the natural complement https://t.co/uHmJCQ8mbT | |
| The really important thing is that he doesn't use a private email server for any of this. https://t.co/Vr20dswgsm | |
| 2.49pm GMT | |
| 14:49 | |
| Barack Obama in Athens: ‘Democracy can be complicated’ – video | |
| 2.46pm GMT | |
| 14:46 | |
| Former Maryland governor and presidential candidate Martin O’Malley has withdrawn from contention to be new chairman of the Democratic national committee. | |
| While I'm grateful to the friends who have urged me to consider running for DNC Chair, I will not be seeking our Party's Chairmanship (2/2) | |
| Representative Keith Ellison of Minnesota has emerged as the frontrunner for the post, with the support of close ally Bernie Sanders, outgoing senate minority leader Harry Reid, (probable) incoming senate minority leader Chuck Schumer and others. | |
| The Washington Post published a story Tuesday on various potential controversies attached to Ellison: | |
| Earlier in his career, Ellison apologized for and/or backed off a number of controversial statements and politically dicey moves, from likening George W. Bush’s consolidation of power post-9/11 to the rise of Adolf Hitler, to defending the leader of the National of Islam, to labeling his 2012 reelection opponent a “lowlife scumbag.” These comments have rarely been an issue for Ellison in his safe Minneapolis-based district, but now that he’s competing to lead the Democratic Party, they’ve resurfaced. | |
| In the Trump era, is it daft even to speculate that a 10-year-old comment by Ellison about George W Bush might disqualify him for a political leadership role? | |
| Updated | |
| at 2.46pm GMT | |
| 1.38pm GMT | 1.38pm GMT |
| 13:38 | 13:38 |
| Morning summary | Morning summary |
| Hello and welcome to our live-wire coverage of US politics. President-elect Donald Trump has spent his morning contradicting reports that personnel firings have left his transition team in disarray: | Hello and welcome to our live-wire coverage of US politics. President-elect Donald Trump has spent his morning contradicting reports that personnel firings have left his transition team in disarray: |
| Trump specifically takes issue with a New York Times report that US allies are “struggling to make contact” because his team has jettisoned protocol: | Trump specifically takes issue with a New York Times report that US allies are “struggling to make contact” because his team has jettisoned protocol: |
| Prominent American allies were in the meantime scrambling to figure out how and when to contact Mr. Trump. At times, they have been patched through to him in his luxury office tower with little warning, according to a Western diplomat who spoke on the condition of anonymity to detail private conversations. | Prominent American allies were in the meantime scrambling to figure out how and when to contact Mr. Trump. At times, they have been patched through to him in his luxury office tower with little warning, according to a Western diplomat who spoke on the condition of anonymity to detail private conversations. |
| Trump asserts that the report is wrong: | Trump asserts that the report is wrong: |
| The failing @nytimes story is so totally wrong on transition. It is going so smoothly. Also, I have spoken to many foreign leaders. | The failing @nytimes story is so totally wrong on transition. It is going so smoothly. Also, I have spoken to many foreign leaders. |
| I have recieved and taken calls from many foreign leaders despite what the failing @nytimes said. Russia, U.K., China, Saudi Arabia, Japan, | I have recieved and taken calls from many foreign leaders despite what the failing @nytimes said. Russia, U.K., China, Saudi Arabia, Japan, |
| Australia, New Zealand, and more. I am always available to them. @nytimes is just upset that they looked like fools in their coverage of me. | Australia, New Zealand, and more. I am always available to them. @nytimes is just upset that they looked like fools in their coverage of me. |
| Trump does not address security clearances for Kushner | Trump does not address security clearances for Kushner |
| Finally, Trump contradicts a story his team had previously contradicted in a statement, that he was seeking top security clearances for his children. | Finally, Trump contradicts a story his team had previously contradicted in a statement, that he was seeking top security clearances for his children. |
| But Trump does not address the latest twist in the story, from last night, when NBC News reported that Trump had sought top-level security clearance for his son-in-law, Jared Kushner: | But Trump does not address the latest twist in the story, from last night, when NBC News reported that Trump had sought top-level security clearance for his son-in-law, Jared Kushner: |
| Trump team has asked for son in law Jared Kushner to have top secret clearance for Presidential Daily Brief no precedent for that | Trump team has asked for son in law Jared Kushner to have top secret clearance for Presidential Daily Brief no precedent for that |
| I am not trying to get "top level security clearance" for my children. This was a typically false news story. | I am not trying to get "top level security clearance" for my children. This was a typically false news story. |
| Trump grabs dinner | Trump grabs dinner |
| Trump gave his protective press pool the slip last night to grab dinner at the 21 Club, which is a few blocks south of Trump tower: | Trump gave his protective press pool the slip last night to grab dinner at the 21 Club, which is a few blocks south of Trump tower: |
| Thank you for reading and please join us in the comments. | Thank you for reading and please join us in the comments. |