Suchcontactsduringthetransitionperiodarenotjustroutine,theyarevitalsothatofficialscanhandoffdetailedbriefingpackagestotheirsuccessorsintimeforthenewgovernmenttotakepoweronJanuary20.
Trumpalsotweetedthatreportsheistryingtoget"top-levelsecurityclearances"forthreeofhisadultchildren—DonaldTrumpJr.,EricTrumpandIvankaTrump,andpossiblyherhusband,JaredKushner—is"atypicallyfalsenewsstory."
Allfour,whohelpedadviseTrumpduringthecampaign,havealsobeenhelpingthepresident-electwithkeyappointments.
SomeofthetransitiontalkshavecenteredonwhethertonameformerNewYorkMayorRudyGiulianiassecretaryofstate.The72-year-oldGiulianihaslittleforeignpolicyexperience.However,hewasastaunchadvocateforTrumpthroughouthiscampaign,oftenappearingontelevisionnewsshowstodefendhim.
TherearequestionsaboutGiuliani'soverseasinvestments,particularlyinVenezuelaandQatar,thatmightprovetobeconflictsofinterest.
"RudyGiulianifixedNewYorkCity,”saidU.S.CongressmanBlakeFarentholdfromTexas.“Ifhecanfixourforeignrelations,thatwouldbegreat.Ifyoudisqualifiedanybodywhohadbusinessdealingsabroadfromacabinetpost,that'saprettylonglistofpeopleyouwoulddisqualify."
TrumpaideshavedescribedGiulianiasthenarrowchoiceassecretaryofstate,withformerUnitedNationsAmbassadorJohnBoltonandSouthCarolinaGovernorNikkiHaleyasotherpossibilities.
OthernewsreportssayTrumpisconsideringStevenMnuchin,aWallStreetfinancierandTrump'scampaignfinancechief,astreasurysecretary.
AshearrivedWednesdayatTrumpTowerinNewYork,MnuchinsaidTrump'seconomicprioritiesincludetaxandtradereformandplanstoboostjobgrowthbyfixingthecountry'sdeterioratinginfrastructure.
"YougottheRepublicanPartycomingtogether,yougotTrumpgoingthroughthelistofpeoplethatarecomingtovisitTrumpTowerandthefolksthatthey'veannouncedalreadyareprettypopular,”Farentholdsaid.“Obviously,nobodylikeseverybody."
