Donald Trump's advisers in New York are concentrating on selecting his Cabinet — ignoring policy plans being developed by the Washington D.C. staff of the president-elect, Politico reports.
Quoting sources close to the transition, Politico notes Trump "has been more likely to set policy on Twitter than through consultation with his D.C. advisers."
"The senior people are all focused on Cabinet appointments," a Republican official involved in past transitions told the political news website.
"I wonder how much time, attention and decision-making is being allocated to the rest of the government. … It is not a recipe for smooth governance."
According to those interviewed by Politico, Trump has a tendency to focus on personnel and particularly personality over policy. And they believe that will only further complicate the transition to the White House.
Lisa Brown, a former top official for the Obama-Biden transition, warns that failing to engage on policy could present problems for the incoming administration.
"It is hard to get the government to do things," she is quoted by Politico. "It's not like you flip a switch. Even reversing regulations, as Trump has said he wants to do, is a long process."
Politico says some Obama administration officials are concerned the Trump team has not developed department-by-department transition plans, noting EPA administrator Gina McCarthy said her agency has had only one visit from someone from the transition team.
But a Trump official is disputing any problems, according to Politico, saying: "The operations are seamless and working well."
The Washington Post has reported the Trump team has in the past denied reports on turmoil within its ranks and said such speculation came from "folks on the outside" who feared the president-elect was preparing to "drain the swamp, as he's promised."
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