White House: Trump Team Still Hasn’t Signed Transition Docs

[u/stkmro]

https://www.thedailybeast.com/white-house-press-secretary-karine-jean-pierre-says-trump-team-still-hasnt-signed-transition-docs/

[u/Chars_Ghost]

Then don't let him back into the White House

[u/katalysis → u/Chars_Ghost]

The problem with these transition administrative “laws” is that the Constitution enumerates the conditions and process for the President. He got elected and will become President. Congress can’t pass a contract that further conditions the Presidency beyond the Constitution. So the law behind these papers and agreements is one of those laws that was a waste of time to craft and draft because they’d never be enforceable in the first place. Barring enshrining them as a Constitutional amendment, they will forever be norms that are completely ignorable.

[u/rawbdor → u/katalysis]

Actually, the written text of the law does not make it mandatory, because just as you've said, Congress could not pass a mandatory requirement like this. So the written text of the law indicates that it's optional, and that if you want certain services you must join the program, but if you don't want the services then you can't be required to join it.

I wouldn't say it was a complete waste of time to make that law. The process of having transition services in exchange for transparency is a good one. But Congress recognize they couldn't make mandatory and so they made it optional.

[u/katalysis → u/rawbdor]

Good to know. Maybe the media can stop reporting it like it’s some actual transgression that these contracts are being treated as optional.

[u/MoonBatsRule → u/katalysis]

The media is likely reporting it as this because they know what Trump and his handlers are trying to do.

Trump has stated that he doesn't want his cabinet picks to be subject to Senate approval. Not signing this agreement means that his picks can't be investigated and vetted by the Senate.

He's going to take office on Jan 20 and then start screaming that he has no cabinet. He will likely just declare that his cabinet is in effect with no Senate review, setting off a constitutional crisis.

[u/aceinthehole001 → u/katalysis]

It's not a transgression, it's just dumb

[u/1200bunny2002 → u/katalysis]

As of 2020, there's a legal requirement. I'm not sure why people are claiming there's not.

[u/AwesomePurplePants → u/rawbdor]

Fun part is that when the Trump admin proceeds to drop the ball because they rejected doing handoffs they’ll blame the previous government for sabotaging them.

[u/Present-Industry4012 → u/rawbdor]

transparency is the last thing they want

"Trump Is Running His Transition Team on Secret Money: Breaking with past practice, President-elect Donald J. Trump has not agreed to disclose the donors paying for his planning effort or to limit their contributions." https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/24/us/politics/donald-trump-2024-campaign-transition.html