Donald Trump reportedly 'surprised at the scope' of the president's duties
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Donald Trump will be getting more help from the White House during the next several months than incoming presidents typically receive, The Wall Street Journal reports.
People with knowledge of Trump's meeting on Thursday with President Obama told the Journal Obama realized that Trump, who has no experience in government or the military, will need more guidance, and he will spend more time with him than previously expected. As Obama explained the duties that come along with running the country, "Trump seemed surprised by the scope," the Journal reports, and Trump's aides were also "unaware that the entire presidential staff working in the West Wing had to be replaced at the end of Mr. Obama's term."
Trump's transition team is not where it needs to be, people familiar with the process told WSJ. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) was supposed to lead the team, but he was replaced Friday by Mike Pence, the vice president-elect, following the conviction of Christie's onetime allies in the Bridgegate scandal. The team has been late in making announcements and decisions because of this, but also because Trump's own advisers were shocked he won on Tuesday and have been scrambling, a senior aide told WSJ. The communications director for the transition team declined to comment to the Journal.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Political cartoons for February 17Cartoons Tuesday’s political cartoons include a refreshing spritz of Pam, winter events, and more
-
Alexei Navalny and Russia’s history of poisoningsThe Explainer ‘Precise’ and ‘deniable’, the Kremlin’s use of poison to silence critics has become a ’geopolitical signature flourish’
-
Are Hollywood ‘showmances’ losing their shine?In The Spotlight Teasing real-life romance between movie leads is an old Tinseltown publicity trick but modern audiences may have had enough
-
Judge blocks Hegseth from punishing Kelly over videoSpeed Read Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed for the senator to be demoted over a video in which he reminds military officials they should refuse illegal orders
-
Trump’s EPA kills legal basis for federal climate policySpeed Read The government’s authority to regulate several planet-warming pollutants has been repealed
-
House votes to end Trump’s Canada tariffsSpeed Read Six Republicans joined with Democrats to repeal the president’s tariffs
-
Bondi, Democrats clash over Epstein in hearingSpeed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi ignored survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and demanded that Democrats apologize to Trump
-
El Paso airspace closure tied to FAA-Pentagon standoffSpeed Read The closure in the Texas border city stemmed from disagreements between the Federal Aviation Administration and Pentagon officials over drone-related tests
-
Judge blocks Trump suit for Michigan voter rollsSpeed Read A Trump-appointed federal judge rejected the administration’s demand for voters’ personal data
-
US to send 200 troops to Nigeria to train armySpeed Read Trump has accused the West African government of failing to protect Christians from terrorist attacks
-
Grand jury rejects charging 6 Democrats for ‘orders’ videoSpeed Read The jury refused to indict Democratic lawmakers for a video in which they urged military members to resist illegal orders
