Even a wiser and more seasoned Donald Trump will find governing to be just as challenging, if not more so, the second time around
Trump has set many priorities, including slapping tariffs on imports, extending tax cuts, plugging a leaky border, and shifting America’s role to that of the world’s peacemaker rather than its policeman. A president is not a one-man gang. As chief executive and commander in chief, Trump will need a strong team to execute his policies. The members of that team will hire and manage a restructured and slimmed-down federal workforce to implement the agenda of the incoming president, and not those of previous administrations.
Choosing a chief of staff first, as Trump did by tapping Susie Wiles, is standard procedure for an incoming administration. Wiles, a shrewd political veteran who managed Trump’s winning campaign, is super qualified to oversee an orderly process. By the time most of you read this, the incoming Republican-controlled Senate should have selected its majority leader, who will be tasked with maintaining party discipline as he steers Trump’s agenda through the Senate.
Fifteen cabinet-level appointees will require Senate confirmation but must first pass the muster of Trump’s close-knit vetting team, who have placed a premium on loyalty to Trump’s causes. There’s a lot of name-dropping going on, some of which comes from people fishing for positions. Some, but not all, will work their way into the cabinet or other top-level positions. The wish list should be winnowed out in the coming days.
Life is easier for a president when Congress is with him, not against him. At press time, Republicans were on the cusp of retaining control of the House of Representatives after recapturing the White House and Senate on Election Night. Perhaps this political trifecta will govern better. It’s hard to see them doing much worse.
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