Vice President-elect Mike Pence reportedly ordered the removal of all lobbyists from president-elect Donald Trump’s transition team, The Wall Street Journal wrote on Tuesday night.
The decision was one of Pence’s first since formally taking over the team’s lead role. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was abruptly dismissed from the post last week.
Critics have excoriated Trump for including lobbyists, Washington insiders, and Republican Party veterans among his team, suggesting it contradicts the anti-establishment message that defined his campaign.
“[Americans] do not want corporate executives to be the ones who are calling the shots in Washington,” Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren said earlier Tuesday. “What Donald Trump is doing is that he’s putting together a transition team that’s full of lobbyists — the kind of people he actually ran against,” she said.
The move capped a chaotic day for Trump’s transition team. Former Michigan Rep. Mike Rogers, who handled national-security duties, was ousted, as was senior defense and foreign policy official Matthew Freedman.
Rogers was told that all team members picked by Christie were being ousted, The Journal reported, citing a source familiar with the situation. Rogers indicated the team may be in disarray.
“Is there a little confusion in New York? I think there is. I think this is growing pains,” he told CNN’s Jim Sciutto. Sources cited by CNN in that story suggested infighting among Trump’s close advisers. Another unnamed CNN source denied the claim.
Trump attempted to dispel talk of turmoil in a tweet late Tuesday: “Very organized process taking place as I decide on Cabinet and many other positions. I am the only one who knows who the finalists are!,” the tweet read.
Trump’s team is tasked with finding and hiring 4,000 political appointees to fill out the federal government.
As reported by Business Insider