If you only read one thing: Trump’s transition is off to a tumultuous start, as the President-elect purges some allies loyal to first Transition Chair New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. The internal power play follows a campaign season that elevated palace intrigue to reality TV levels, and there are no signs of it letting up as the season turns to governing. The tumult within the Trump transition has delayed key decisions, including the “big four” Cabinet appointees and most senior administration staff.
The factionalized transition is split over how forcefully the President-elect should stray from Washington convention, with one group encouraging experienced hires who are familiar with the task of running a government, and others pushing for those who share Trump’s instinctual aversion to the nation’s capital. Which side wins out may determine more than anything else the success or failure of the Trump administration.
Hillary Clinton emerged one week after delivering her concession speech for her first public event, speaking at the Children’s Defense Fund, where she began her career decades ago. The speech was booked before the election, when Clinton and her team expected to win, but marked a fitting coda to her campaign.
Why you should care about Trump ditching the press. Democrats elevate the liberal wing of their party. And TIME presents a user’s guide to a Trump administration.
Here are your must reads:
Must Reads
Inside Donald Trump’s Chaotic Transition
The President-elect is quickly learning that politicians campaign, Presidents govern. [TIME]
Hillary Clinton Reflects On Her Loss and Urges Her Supporters to Stay Engaged
In first public remarks since her concession, Clinton urges resilience [Associated Press]
Why You Should Care About Trump Ditching his Press Pool
An important service for the American public [Yahoo]
Democrats Elevate Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren as Party Plots Comeback
The Left rises [TIME]
Trump Transition Appears to Have Flouted Internal Ethics Rule on Lobbyists
A copy of the transition team’s code of ethics includes a rule barring lobbyists with overlapping work. [Politico]
Sound Off
“It’s a great transition and the President-elect is in full control, believe me” — Ret. Gen. Mike Flynn to reporters Thursday at Trump Tower
“The purpose of the meeting was for me to assert to him the concerns the needs of all New Yorkers.” — New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to reporters after a more an 1-hour meeting with Trump Wednesday
Bits and Bites
From TIME’s ‘A User’s Guide to President Trump’:
How Donald Trump Could Remake Global Trade With a Pen
How Donald Trump Can Make Airports and Bridges Great Again
The First Steps to ‘Drain the Swamp’
The Return of ‘Drill, Baby, Drill’
The Limits of Military Spending
Donald Trump’s Election Heralds a New Abortion Landscape
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