Donald Trump shook up his White House transition team Friday, putting running mate Mike Pence in charge and naming a cohort of Washington insiders — and three of his children — to help nail down picks for his future cabinet.
The reshuffle came as anti-Trump protesters spilled onto the streets for a third straight night, with the Republican president-elect facing mounting calls to reassure Americans who fear a xenophobic crackdown under his authority.
At least 1,200 people — among them families with children — rallied late Friday in New York´s Washington Square carrying banners reading “Peace and Love” and “Your wall can´t stand in our way.”
More than 1,000 people gathered in Miami, with weekend protests planned in at least half a dozen cities.
A focal point for New York protesters is Trump Tower, where the real estate tycoon-turned-world-leader has been ensconced in his luxury apartment, mapping out his next steps.
The 70-year-old incoming president has a mammoth task of fleshing out his cabinet, as well as steering the complex transition of power, and announced Friday he was elevating Vice President-elect Mike Pence to lead the process.
“Mike will have a big role. He´s very capable,” Trump said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal — the first since his election, adding that he expected his vice-president would serve as his “liaison” with Congress.
Trump included three of his children and his son-in-law Jared Kushner on the transition team — a move likely to raise eyebrows, since the tycoon earlier announced that should he win he would place his vast business interests into a blind trust operated by Donald Trump Jr, Eric Trump and Ivanka Trump.
And in a clear shift with his abrasive campaign, he added to his transition team a string of insider figures from the very establishment that he railed against so strongly, including Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus — now tipped as a possible chief of staff.
“Drain the swamp” became a popular Trump refrain in the closing weeks of the race as he vowed to end the ways of the US capital. (AFP)
