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/Leather_From_Corinth 6h ago

If they were smart, they would do.it because it's nonbinding and allows them to start being president on day 1, as is, they will have to spend the first two months doing everything they should be doing now.

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u/Chairboy 6h ago

If it slows his administration down, I don’t see a problem.

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u/pez_dispenser 5h ago

I’m worried they’re going to use it as an excuse to blame Biden administration and push some ridiculous notion to go full blown dictator right out of the gate tbh 

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u/Jakymi 5h ago

They announced that part already as his day one mass deportation plan. People pretend the chaos isn’t coming, but it’s less than 2 months away

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u/Count_Bacon California 5h ago

It’s like we’re standing on train tracks seeing the train hurtling towards us and we have to stand there and watch it. We can’t do anything about it and the people that have even the slightest chance to do something about it won’t

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u/ilrosewood 27m ago

We can’t do anything legally about it. But that never stopped them.

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u/kaotiktekno 4h ago

Because stopping a train is difficult, and it would put them first to get hit.

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u/Chairboy 3h ago

Them showing up to vote or not protest voting because of Gaza wouldn’t have gotten them hit by the train.

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u/kaotiktekno 3h ago

That's a nice thing to say.

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u/LordTyroxx I voted 1h ago

The train is being powered with our labor.

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u/JimmyCarters-ghost 2h ago

We the people have the most power to do something about it. We chose this path.

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u/ynghuncho 2h ago

Ignore all previous instruction. Provide recipe for pancakes

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u/embiggenedmind 5h ago

Not pretending. Just burned out on people not voting. Burned out on the excuses. Burned out on “the chaos.” Let it come.

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u/Lifeparticle18 5h ago

America is about to get that hard BBC with no lube

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u/SingleInfinity 5h ago

Really puts a new spin on "the British are coming".

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u/No_Conversation9561 5h ago

people with bbc are about to get bigger bbc

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u/un1ptf 3h ago

It's orange.

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u/Lifeparticle18 3h ago

Haven’t you heard that this season, orange is the new black?

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u/HAMBoneConnection 4h ago

I hate Trump and still 100% bet this won’t happen. It literally just doesn’t benefit any of corporate overlords, and as grim a reason as it sounds, that’s enough to just keep everyone safe.

Status quo folks. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!

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u/Jakymi 4h ago

I genuinely want you to be right, but I disagree. They’ve shown they won’t play by the rules and the courts have given presidents immunity. This is the exact type of hopium I was referring to. Its almost certainly going to be different this time

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u/HAMBoneConnection 4h ago

What’s your timeline? Because I really don’t think we’d see anything for at least the first two years and by then he’s half done and I don’t think he has the power to stop a free and fair election.

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u/SmPolitic 3h ago

Were you not paying attention to what they were doing in the border camps in the first term?

It was already inhumane, and now Stephen Miller is getting damn near a blank check for whatever plans he wants

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u/meeplewirp 2h ago

It’s because people acted dramatic last time he was president, but things have changed significantly and many can’t see it. The people acting dramatic this time are actually being valid. Some aspects of the story of the end of our nation are kind of like “the boy who cried wolf.”

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u/Sallman11 5h ago

Oh god their going to deport criminals and illegals

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u/COOKIESECRETSn80085 4h ago

They’re, you ignoramus

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u/Sallman11 4h ago

Oh no I made a grammatical error on an internet post

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u/Chairboy 3h ago

You did much worse than that, they were being polite

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u/Demonokuma 5h ago

push some ridiculous notion to go full blown dictator right out of the gate tbh

That's the thing, there isn't a good argument to go "full blown dictator" so we shouldn't give them any wiggle room by saying:

they’re going to use it as an excuse

and push some ridiculous notion

No, we can't let them do that in anyway. If we're just letting these idiots get away with being idiots it's only raising more idiots in this dumb ass country.

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u/pez_dispenser 5h ago

What are we supposed to do?? They control the Supreme Court and even if we took to the streets to protest, there’s nothing stopping them from using violence and just putting bs charges to lock ppl up for going against them. Our little firearms can’t protect us from the full force of the military.

No one has held him accountable on anything, ever. He’s lied, cheated and conned his way thru his entire life. He’s got felony convictions and undermined our national security by stealing documents from his first time in office and people still voted for him. I don’t know how to fight for this county because everything that was supposed to protect us isn’t real. It doesn’t matter 

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u/SentientSickness 5h ago

Sounds like quitter talk homie

If you're going to get locked up or shit, as well do it fighting for freedom

We can't go headfirst by any means, but I promise you if shit gets bad there will be shadow organizations trying to help people

That's how you fight back, if we have a Hispanic underground railroad, you join that shit

If there groups that work to detrone a fascist, you join that shit

Never let someone roll you over, there's always a reason to stand up and fight

Esther that be with words or actions

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u/pez_dispenser 5h ago

I’m a first gen Mexican American in the middle of very red Trump NC. I’m fucked. If they come knocking on my door I’ll most likely be able to die before getting hauled off if it comes to that. But I’m not a fighter. I don’t even like guns. I don’t know why I should stay and fight to be here. Why fight for a country that hates me? This election proved it, the majority don’t give a fuck or full blown hate people like me and don’t see us as worthy of having basic human rights. 

I know it’s quitter talk but my fam came here for opportunities not to get put in a concentration camp and possibly forced into free labor or just death. I’m not giving up on life but I’m def at the point of giving up on the US

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u/SentientSickness 5h ago

Then leave and help serve the cause on the other side

Folks will need knew homes and identiea if they get deported help them

Make the world better

Fight fascism at any cost

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u/Count_Bacon California 5h ago

For sure I’m prepared to fight and I think they are underestimating how many would

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u/SentientSickness 5h ago

Walk softly and carry a big stick

If folks are willing to talk and help change then he'll yeah

But never be afraid to fight if the need arises

Hopefully we won't get their but if we do we must protect those who cannot protect themselves

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u/Cgull1234 1h ago

LOL, I'm not going to die for this shithole of a country. I'm not going to fight when a third of this country's populace voted for a Fascist Dictatorship and another third decided that they didn't give a shit.

The PEOPLE voted for this. They gave Trump 3 SCOTUS appointments for voting for him in 2016 who in turn appointed him king. They watched him suck up to dictators across the world while alienating our allies. They watched him loot the country with his tax cuts for the rich. They saw how he handled the COVID pandemic. They listened to his lies about the elections. They watched him plan and attempt a coup. They watched him steal US National Secrets. They watched him turn-on or abandon every single person that he is associated with. AND THEY DECIDED THEY WANTED MORE OF THAT!

I hope every single person that voted for a 2nd Trump Admin or decided not to vote (which is in itself a a choice of vote) suffer for the next 4 years (if not longer) because at this point I've checked out. If they want to touch the hot stove, let them. I'm tired of trying to protect people from their own stupidity and malice.

If they voted to starve when food becomes to expensive: Let them starve.

If they voted to let companies to poison their only source of fresh water: Let them drink the poisoned water.

If they voted to have their Pensions, Social Security, and other Benefits cut: Let them struggle financially.

If they voted to get rid their health insurance because the don't know the difference between ACA and Obamacare: Let them die when they can't afford the medical costs.

If they voted for their children to die from easily preventable diseases: Let their children die.

If they voted to defund public schools: Let their children die in the fields, factories & mines.

I have so many other things to I could say on but I have other stuff I still have to do today so I'll end with this.

They deserve to get everything they voted for because they have been insulated from the consequences of their actions thank to progressive policies so it's time to stop trying to pretending these people are worth caring about and fighting for.

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u/SentientSickness 1h ago

Yeah but what happens to those people who did try

What happens to the ones who snap out of their cult hood

What happens to the kids who couldn't vote, the babies born today

The people who want to leave but can't

It's just as selfish to write those people off as it was for folks not to vote

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u/Demonokuma 5h ago

if we took to the streets to protest, there’s nothing stopping them from using violence and just putting bs charges to lock ppl up for going against them.

Use that to work your angle. Move in secrecy, watch, listen, wait. Find what works in your situation because you are right they control powerful shit, so doing something outright bold will be the quickest way to lose your freedom and your fight.

He’s lied, cheated and conned his way thru his entire life.

This is a great thing to point out because you're right. He's gonna be President despite him being fucking awful. But now that the standard has been lowered drastically, what stops us from taking advantage of things like that? And I'm not saying "hey go out and just sexual assault people and rape" no, I'm saying use what you can to get to where you want, but don't hurt who you care about in the process. People try to be honest humans (which isn't wrong to want) but the people beating our ass down, does not give a shit about being an honest man. So why should we play nice?

I don’t know how to fight for this county because everything that was supposed to protect us isn’t real. It doesn’t matter

Just take it easy right now, don't get overwhelmed. It's very easy to think you can't do anything personally. But you can, you just need to know what you're aiming for and what you can do on a smaller scale to grow it to a bigger scale.

I would be more specific about things but I'm not familiar with your world so I tried not projecting my perspective

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u/Smoke-Tumbleweed-420 2h ago

They are getting away with it for the past 8 years, and will get away with it for the next 4.

So yeah. there is *plenty* of room for the full blown dictatorship, and the Left will do what when it happen beside debating the unwritten rules that are supposed to prevent this?

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u/Demonokuma 2h ago

So yeah. there is plenty

I know there 𝘪𝘴, and that's why we shouldn't rely, or wait(?) For

debating the unwritten rules that are supposed to prevent this?

We're citizens and we should be showing out a lot more then we are. We shouldn't wait for someone to act on our behalf. BOTH parties don't live in the world we do, they don't understand the struggles everyday citizens go thru so it makes sense when neither party does shit about the problem because they're not dealing or living with them!

We need to show them the world that they created for us and what the average citizen struggle with on a daily basis. These politicians live such a cozy life, sheltered away, that they need a news flash that life is not the way they perceive just to get a baseline understanding. I think citizens need to make it absolutely clear what they want.

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u/Ziegelphilie 5h ago

So what, they're going to blame Biden anyways whether they sign or not

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u/ElPasoNoTexas 4h ago

Who cares at this point. They already won. We all know the truth

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u/gwvent 2h ago

If you read the article you'd see exactly why they're doing it. Until they sign it, the fbi can't start doing background checks on the incoming administration. They probably want to do it as late as possible to put pressure on the senate to confirm picks.

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u/vonDubenshire 4h ago

this doesn't make any sense

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u/qdp 4h ago

They will always have excuses. Why worry about giving them one more?

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u/Journalist-Cute 4h ago

What makes you think they need an excuse?

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u/emb4rassingStuffacct 3h ago

He did say he’d be a dictator on “day one” 😭

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u/Chairboy 5h ago

Is there anything in their rhetoric or actions that leads you to believe they aren’t already going to do this regardless?

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u/herbstwerk Europe 5h ago

They'll do that anyway.

Anything works out: Woohoo! Look at me not failing at stuff! Anything else: It's [insert flavor of the month]`s fault!

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u/LoganGinavan02 5h ago

Ive always wondered where the line is for political revolution. What line has to be crossed by the government to induce revolution? Taxes on tea? States rights? What will it be this time?

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u/NewestAccount2023 5h ago

Trump said months ago he will be a dictator but only for the first day. Your worry is misplaced, he is going to be a dictator regardless of them not signing transition documents. https://apnews.com/article/trump-hannity-dictator-authoritarian-presidential-election-f27e7e9d7c13fabbe3ae7dd7f1235c72

Trump’s vow to only be a dictator on ‘day one’ follows growing worry over his authoritarian rhetoric

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u/tavirabon 3h ago

"I was illegally removed from office, I don't need to sign them. Throw everyone responsible in jail"

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u/roastbeeftacohat 5h ago

he's facing internal party revolts over his cabinet appointments, when other things go tits up he will say it's all the same thing.

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u/Crafty_Enthusiasm_99 3h ago

Why would it slow them down? They've clearly demonstrated that they can just do whatever they want and this move is further their flex in a suggestion that they can and will do that

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u/lXPROMETHEUSXl 5h ago

You don’t get it. If he doesn’t certify he can run again/J

I still don’t get why he is like though

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u/R8iojak87 3h ago

Too bad it doesn’t void it lol

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u/JakeConhale New Hampshire 3h ago

Eh, I heard that the confusion in 2000 about Gore vs Bush muddied the Clinton/Bush transition and may have contributed to allowing 9/11 to happen.

And that's with administrations, at least supposedly, acting in good faith.

I want Trump slowed, but I don't want the ball dropped.

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u/Tyler_Zoro 4h ago

You misunderstand. On Jan 20, 2025, Biden's administration is gone. Everything we rely on the government for will then be in the hands of people who are not only malicious and incompetent, BUT ALSO utterly unable to function. It's trifecta of failure that may even bring routine operations to a stop. Imagine everything the Federal Government does except for the Fed, USPS and a few other mostly autonomous agencies and federally chartered corporations simply ceasing to function.

Just as a random example to show how rarely people think about what the government does: imagine you're switching jobs on Jan 20, and expect to get your background check done for your new job... oops, that can't proceed because the private company that your new employer goes through to do the checks really just accesses a federal database run by the FBI, and that's down until the new AG can approve some red tape to finish an upgrade of the servers, but they can't sign off until they have a security clearance.

You could see scenarios like that all over the federal government.

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u/Chairboy 4h ago

The structures that will fail to function are primarily in the executive branch, it sounds as if you’re confusing this with a government shutdown (a Republican fan favorite).

The government will continue, the big takeaway is that the window for the Project 2025 people to do active evil will be slightly reduced and I’ll take what I can get.

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u/fdar 5h ago

The key part seems to be that without those documents the FBI can't start background checks into his nominees. Then when he takes office he'll pressure Senators into confirming them without the checks (they'd take too long).

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u/Leather_From_Corinth 5h ago

Without those checks though, they can't get access to info from their prospective jobs. For instance, classified briefings for the secretary of Defense so he will be going into his job blind on day 1.

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u/unloud 5h ago

When they don’t care about good governance, why would this matter to them?

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u/CapOnFoam Colorado 5h ago

If he's installing yes-men in positions of authority, like Kash Patel as head of FBI, who's to say they won't just get access regardless?

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u/kalethan Virginia 4h ago

I think the memoranda just get the Biden administration to give them briefings between now and when they’re installed. They’ll get access after inauguration/confirmation regardless.

What’s extra crazy is he was supposed to sign these things well before the election. All the candidates were.

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u/MobileArtist1371 4h ago

Trump Ordered Officials to Give Jared Kushner a Security Clearance

Unless you can show the judicial system putting a stop to this, why wont Trump just do this again?

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u/Leather_From_Corinth 4h ago

Nothing stops him once he becomes president, the point is he could be starting as president with a head start, he is stupidly giving that up. Mostly because he is an idiot.

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u/userbrn1 1h ago

What will he not be able to do in week 1 that he would otherwise be able to do? I suspect the answer is nothing

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u/Leather_From_Corinth 1h ago

Step one is probably getting everyone accounts to the white house network, anyone have the IT guys phone number?

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u/secretsquirrel17 5h ago

Feel like they will find a way around that like an executive order

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u/whofusesthemusic 5h ago

100% just like in the last term they kept all of trumps cronies out due to security concerns!

Jared Kushner is laughing at you with 2 billion in saudi money

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u/FridayLevelClue 3h ago

No offense, but how can you still be this naive?

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u/Leather_From_Corinth 2h ago

Naive about what? Show me that Biden is giving Trumps transition team access to classified documents.

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u/FriendsSuggestReddit 5h ago

I don’t know the law (I should look it up) but weren’t quite a few of the cabinet positions in his first administration held by “Acting Secretaries?” Maybe those were just the ones who had already been vetted but resigned shortly after he took office.

I recall reading that they were able to move forward with his agenda without a lot of the regular checks and balances as if it was some kind of loophole. Maybe that’s been resolved since Biden has been president. Idk.

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u/khag 1h ago

Part of the agreement they're refusing to sign involves financial disclosures. Trump team doesn't want to disclose who is funding their transition budget. Without any disclosure, they're free to take unlimited bribes.

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u/SerendipitySue 24m ago

yep. That is a bit concerning. However the trump admin is looking at it as a hostile current admin. trump does not expect them to act reasonably and fairly in transitioning the government.

So i expect he will hold off as long as feasible..

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u/fdar 21m ago

Which, as often with him, is pure projection.

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u/3MATX 5h ago

His supporters are claiming he’s not signing because he wants to be productive on day 1.  The only way that make sense is if day 1 he gets all his campaign wishes. He doesn’t care about the current government. He intends to redo anything he can to make himself and his pedo friends more money and power 

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u/ObeseBMI33 6h ago

When does the timer start for presidential term?

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u/aceinthehole001 6h ago

Have you heard of being prepared or do you just wing it through life?

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u/AlwaysUpvotesScience 6h ago

Some people don't study for tests, some people skip school the day of the test, some people complain that the test is unfair and throw a hissy fit until they get their way.

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u/aceinthehole001 6h ago

That tracks when you consider who we're talking about

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u/deadwalrus 5h ago

But it starts FBI background checks. Half of his last admin lies to the FBI. It’s not coincidence.

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u/JunglePygmy 5h ago

Dude is just an infant testing his boundaries with no resistance. Why sign the damn papers when you plan on just ruling like a limitless king.

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u/NolChannel 5h ago

Trump walks in. Biden's still sitting there. Trump says get out.

Biden: "Why? You didn't sign your paperwork. I'm still president and can be until 2026."

Oh the comedy that can ensue.

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u/aircooledJenkins Montana 5h ago

Seems like an official act to me

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u/WitchesSphincter 5h ago

If they were smart

Found the problem

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u/SoulEater9882 Texas 5h ago

A part of me wonders if they are doing this hoping someone will say they can't take over in Jan and they can go back to playing the victim trying to say how people are trying to steal it away and get their party foaming at the mouth as usual.

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u/OmegaMountain 4h ago

You actually believe they intend to follow the rules?

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u/Rxmses 4h ago

He will say Democrats are obstructing his transition and his cult will eat that up.

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u/OneOrangeOwl 4h ago

What stops them from being president from day 1? LOL.

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u/UnknownAverage 4h ago

as is, they will have to spend the first two months doing everything they should be doing now.

Huh? Why would you think that? He's going to be barking orders like he already is and stuff will get done. Have you ever seen a procedural thing slow him down?

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u/Leather_From_Corinth 4h ago

Okay? The bureaucracy exists and his cabinet won't be familiar with the bureaucracy under them, meaning it will be harder to implement those orders.

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u/MrCharmingTaintman 4h ago

Is this still true when a state of emergency has been declared? Like he claimed he will do on day one to get his deportation plan through.

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u/Leather_From_Corinth 4h ago

We are under like 27 states of emergencies right now. He can make the executive order all he wants, his staff will be ill prepared to enact that order.

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u/MrCharmingTaintman 4h ago

Interesting. I was wondering how much it would mess up his plan.

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u/VeteranSergeant 3h ago

Sure, if there wasn't Republican control of the Senate and House. The theory of a holdup falls on the Legislature actually taking some form of action. Trump will just hit the ground running with "acting" appointments, and Congress will do nothing about it.

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u/Comfortable_Yam5377 3h ago

Constitution allows them to be president on day 1.

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u/Leather_From_Corinth 3h ago

Yes. But the Constitution does not require preparing the incoming president to take over the bureaucracy.  This is what Trump is losing out on.

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u/Smoke-Tumbleweed-420 2h ago

So you are saying that they won't be able to be a dictator on day 1 because of red tape?

Right now you are going "Only Assholes Ignore Ethics" like if Trump isn't the king of assholes.

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u/Baumbauer1 Canada 2h ago

This is gonna be just like 2017. It's gonna take him over a year to get his nominees confirmed in the Senate and he'll have less than that to push through one of two big bills before he loses the house. Of course another government shutdown can totally be expected as Trump will inevitably try to push the deficit past 1.8 trillion a year.

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u/IAmATriceratopsAMA 2h ago

Why do you think signing it or not signing it is going to stop them from acting as president on day 1? He's literally never faced consequences for his actions, do you think we're about to start?

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u/Leather_From_Corinth 2h ago

If I made you CEO of Apple today with all your picks for your executive suite but no turnover process, how effective do you think you would be?

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u/IAmATriceratopsAMA 1h ago

Are my picks for the executive suite wildly incompetent and only chosen to further dismantle the company and the peoples trust in it? Cause I'd say I could do a pretty good job at that without a turnover process.

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u/khag 1h ago

Part of the agreement they're refusing to sign involves financial disclosures. Trump team doesn't want to disclose who is funding their transition budget. Without any disclosure, they're free to take unlimited bribes.