Trump Team Prepares to Take the ‘Beachhead’

Vice President-Elect Mike Pence boasted of a successful transition operation Thursday, even as Senate Democrats launch unprecedented attacks on the Cabinet nominees of President-Elect Donald Trump.

The attacks culminated on Thursday, when U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), fed up and visibly peeved that one Trump nominee had been accused of creating the last recession, asked a Democratic peer if he needed a Valium to calm down.

“It really speaks volumes that the Democrats are not working with us to establish continuity of government. It’s not substance. It’s about partisan attacks and ethical questions.”

Roberts made the remark to U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), a liberal partisan who wanted his Democratic colleagues to grill Trump’s treasury secretary nominee, Steven Mnuchin.

“I just can’t quite believe that [Roberts] would say that,” said U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio). “I just hope that doesn’t set the tone for this session.”

Brown continued to violate Roberts’ time in his complaints. The Senate Finance Committee chairman, Orrin Hatch, brought order.

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When Roberts continued to speak, ranking minority member Wyden objected, saying he had Democratic speakers ready.

“Fine, Ron,” said a peeved Roberts. “I’m done.”

The Beachhead
But the transition has said it is ready to conduct business when Trump takes the reins as president on Friday at noon.

Pence told reporters at a news conference on Thursday that 536 “beachhead” members were reporting for duty.

The “beachhead teams” are temporary employees that serve as assistants to the secretary-designates, according to Fox News. Sean Spicer, Trump’s spokesman, told reporters that they can serve up to 120 days, at which point they may be retained.

The top employees will be crucial to a smooth transition. One top pick who could help with a key undertaking of both President Obama and his successor will be Brett McGurk, envoy for countering ISIS.

McGurk is Obama’s “point man” on ISIS, and Trump apparently felt he needed to stay on for a time as a new security team took office.

Pence spoke briefly at the transition office, and did not take questions from reporters. But before he left, he said Trump has set the tone and is directing his team well.

“The energy and enthusiasm of Donald Trump is contagious,” said Pence.

Pence boasted the transition team will be returning to the Treasury Department about 20 percent of its budget, more than $1 million.

Transition Progress
Spicer said the transition concluded one more job search Wednesday night. Trump made his final Cabinet pick public in announcing former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue as agriculture secretary.

Yet not one Cabinet nominee has been approved by the Senate. Trump’s team is hoping as many as four or five Cabinet appointees could be approved on Friday. Yet the overall status of Cabinet picks is unclear.

The Trump team says particular attention should be paid to the national security team, including the Defense, Homeland Security, and Attorney General nominees.

Spicer lit into the Senate Democrats for delay tactics in the nation’s upper legislative chamber. Spicer accused Democrats of targeting new Cabinet picks who were originally “consensus” picks: Elaine Chao for transportation secretary; Dr. Ben Carson for secretary of Housing and Urban Development; and Nikki Haley for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

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Spicer noted that President Obama easily won Senate approvals for his Cabinet picks. Spicer said Trump’s picks deserve “the 2008 standard.”

“It’s disappointing, these people are highly qualified,” said Spicer. “It really speaks volumes that the Democrats are not working with us to establish continuity of government. If you look at the questions being asked … It’s not substance. It’s about partisan attacks and ethical questions.”

Still, most of the Beltway is abuzz about the transition, not the Senate nitpicking.

On Thursday, after the news conference and not far from the Capitol, Florida Gov. Rick Scott gave interviews to news crews from his home state.

When asked by LifeZette about the Senate process, Scott expressed confidence in the Trump Cabinet picks, and said he believed Trump would create millions of new jobs.

“I think there ought to be a thorough vetting process,” said Scott. “But [Trump] has picked very good people.”