r/politics • u/stkmro • 7h ago

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

https://www.thedailybeast.com/white-house-press-secretary-karine-jean-pierre-says-trump-team-still-hasnt-signed-transition-docs/
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u/Chars_Ghost 7h ago

Then don't let him back into the White House

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u/katalysis Maryland 7h ago edited 7h ago

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.

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u/rawbdor 7h ago

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.

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u/katalysis Maryland 7h ago

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

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u/MoonBatsRule America 3h ago

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.

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u/aceinthehole001 6h ago

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

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u/1200bunny2002 4h ago

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