Transition Shakeout: Pence Takes the Helm

Less than three days after the election that shook the world, President elect Donald Trump shook up his own transition team. He announced Friday that running mate Mike Pence would take over leadership of the effort from New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

According to the New York Times, Trump felt that Pence would be more effective in helping him quickly assemble a team: “The surprise nature of Mr. Trump’s victory made it critical to move more quickly to assemble a team. Mr. Christie’s standing has been in question in recent weeks as two of his former aides were convicted in the scandal involving the political motivation behind closure of the George Washington Bridge at Fort Lee, N.J., in 2013,” the Times noted.

The move was announced in a press release describing a “new implementation phase” of the transition.

Pence will be assisted by six executive committee vice chairs: Christie, former rival for the GOP nomination Dr. Ben Carson, former speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala.

The executive committee itself is composed of 16 members, including key campaign officials, a number of Republican lawmakers, three of Trump’s children, his son-in-law Jared Kushner, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus and Silicon Valley entrepreneur Peter Thiel.

“President-elect Trump will bring about fundamental change in Washington, and these are the right people to make that happen,” Pence said in the release.