memeorandum: Trump Says Transition Is ‘Organized,’ Despite Reports Of Firings, Infighting (Allegra Kirkland/Talking Points Memo)

10:35 AM ET, November 16, 2016

Top Items:

Donald Trump's Transition Team, Or Lack Thereof, Is Causing Real Panic — The self-proclaimed government outsider is having trouble finding people to run the government. — Senior Justice Reporter, The Huffington Post — WASHINGTON Donald Trump's transition team is nearing a state of stasis …

Discussion: Business Insider, Joe.My.God., Real Clear Politics, CBS New York, Hullabaloo, RedState, New Century Times, Mediaite, Balloon Juice, Vox, Common Dreams, New York Magazine and Independent Journal Review

Wall Street Journal:

Donald Trump's Transition Team Reshaped — Vice President-elect Mike Pence drops lobbyists; former Intelligence panel head Mike Rogers ousted — WASHINGTON—Another round of staff changes buffeted President-elect Donald Trump's transition team Tuesday amid resistance from within …

Discussion: RedState, Politico, New York Magazine, Talking Points Memo, NBC News, Media Matters for America, The Daily Caller, The Resurgent, Hullabaloo, FiveThirtyEight, Joe.My.God., The Week, War in Context, Business Insider, Liberal Values, Cafe Hayek and Weekly Standard

Eliot A. Cohen / Washington Post:

I told conservatives to work for Trump. One talk with his team changed my mind. — Eliot A. Cohen is the author of the forthcoming “The Big Stick: The Limits of Soft Power and the Necessity of Military Force.” He served as counselor of the State Department from 2007 to 2009.

Discussion: Politico, Balkinization and Mother Jones

Mark Abadi / Business Insider:

All lobbyists have been cut from Trump's transition team — 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.

Discussion: CNN, USA Today, The New Civil Rights Movement, KTLA, AOL, Vox Popoli, CBS Baltimore, The Times of Israel, The Week, Washington Times, Mediaite and Guardian

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:

Here's How Bad It Is — Here are two paragraphs from a piece just out from The Washington Post you really need to read right now. … Here's the rest of the article. — Let's review. Michael Flynn was fired by the Obama administration. He cowrote a book with Michael Ledeen.

Discussion: Washington Post, The New Civil Rights Movement, War in Context and The Talking Dog

Michael Falcone / ABC News:

The Note: Transition Turmoil — NOTABLES —LOW-LEVEL STAFFER REQUESTED SECURITY CLEARANCES FOR TRUMP'S KIDS: The Trump transition team is saying that a low-level staffer requested security clearances for three of Donald Trump's children, according to a top aide.

Discussion: Politico, CNNMoney and New York Magazine

Allegra Kirkland / Talking Points Memo:

Trump Says Transition Is ‘Organized,’ Despite Reports Of Firings, Infighting — President-elect Donald Trump's transition process has been stalled by abrupt firings and infighting on the team tasked with selecting nominees for his administration posts, according to a Wednesday New York Times report.

Discussion: Washington Post, Bloomberg, CNBC, twitchy.com and Scared Monkeys

Fox News:
Pence removing lobbyists from Trump transition team

Discussion: Townhall.com, The Resurgent and Wall Street Journal

Karen DeYoung / Washington Post:
Key figures purged from Trump transition team

Discussion: Power Line and The Daily Caller

Lisa Rein / Washington Post:
Trump gets to decide if his transition team will have a code of ethics

Discussion: Instapundit

ABC News:
Low-Level Staffer Requested Security Clearances for Trump's Kids: Sources

Discussion: RedState

CNN:
Kushner at the center of Trump transition ‘infighting,’ sources say

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Business Insider, Electoral-vote.com and New Century Times

Jamie McIntyre / Washington Examiner:
Lost in transition: Team Trump a no-show at DoD

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Daily Kos, RedState and Mediaite

NBC News:

As Trump Leaves Press Behind for Steak Dinner, Incoming Admin Already Showing Lack of Transparency — Donald Trump Ditches Press, Steps Out for Dinner 0:47 — In a highly unusual move, President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday night left his Manhattan residence without notifying …

Discussion: Washington Post, The Resurgent, The Daily Caller, Gothamist, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, Infowars, Political Insider blog, The Gateway Pundit, New York Magazine, The Week, twitchy.com, Heat Street, ABC News and Jezebel

Rebecca Savransky / The Hill:
Trump ditches press pool to go out to dinner

Discussion: Mediaite, Politico, Hot Air, Don Surber, BizPac Review and RedState

Jessica Guynn / USA Today:

Twitter suspends alt-right accounts — Twitter released a new set of tools on Tuesday that could finally stop the unregulated craziness that happens on Twitter. The ‘Mute Words’ feature gives the user the ability to mute certain words, phrases, hashtags, emojis, or usernames.

Discussion: Washington Post, The Daily Caller, Complex, Gizmodo, The Week, New York Magazine, War in Context, The Verge and Mashable, more at Mediagazer »

Reuters:

Immigration hardliner says Trump team preparing plans for wall, mulling Muslim registry — An architect of anti-immigration efforts who says he is advising President-elect Donald Trump said the new administration could push ahead rapidly on construction of a U.S.-Mexico border wall without seeking immediate congressional approval.

Discussion: alan.com, Talking Points Memo, New York Magazine, Scripting News, The Week, New Century Times, The Daily Beast and Politico

Esther Yu Hsi Lee / ThinkProgress:

Trump adviser wants to implement a now-defunct program to register Muslim immigrants — Allegations of racial and ethnic profiling helped to end the program in 2011. — Muslim immigrants coming into the United States from “terror-prone” countries may soon have to register and check …

Discussion: War in Context

Jamelle Bouie / Slate:

There's No Such Thing as a Good Trump Voter — People voted for a racist who promised racist outcomes. They don't deserve your empathy. — Donald Trump ran a campaign of racist demagoguery against Muslim Americans, Hispanic immigrants, and black protesters.

Discussion: Salon, Breitbart, The Resurgent, The American Conservative, The Federalist, The Geller Report, TheBlaze, Above the Law, www.wnyc.org, Mediaite and FOX6Now.com

Scott Clement / Washington Post:
Poll finds tempered optimism after Trump victory, but doubts about mandate

Discussion: Politico

Jennifer Jacobs / Bloomberg:

Ted Cruz Considered by Trump for Attorney General — Texas Senator ran unsuccessfully against Trump in primary — Trump gave Cruz the name ‘Lyin Ted’ during Republican contest — President-elect Donald Trump is considering nominating Texas Senator Ted Cruz to serve as U.S. attorney general …

Discussion: RedState, Dallas Morning News, Political Insider blog, Daily Wire, Independent Journal Review, The New Civil Rights Movement, TheBlaze, The Geller Report, The Week, Wichita Eagle and New York Magazine

Sarah D / Los Angeles Times:

California Sen. Barbara Boxer files long shot bill to scrap the Electoral College system — Retiring Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) filed legislation Tuesday to abolish the Electoral College in light of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton winning the popular vote but still losing the election.

Discussion: New York Times, Towleroad, Occupy Democrats and The Week

Madeline Conway / Politico:
Clinton's lead in the popular vote passes 1 million

Discussion: Towleroad, his vorpal sword, The New Civil Rights Movement, Occupy Democrats, Washington Free Beacon, Joe.My.God. and ABC News

Louis Nelson / Politico:

Obama: Trump and I ‘could not be more different’ — In a speech extolling the virtues of democracy in the country credited with inventing it, President Barack Obama said the election of Donald Trump as his successor should serve as a reminder of the importance of the governing values cherished by both the United States and Greece.

Discussion: The Week

Joey Millar / Daily Express:
Defcon nuclear threat REDUCED to safest level following Donald Trump victory

Discussion: Don Surber

Mark Hensch / The Hill:

Ivanka Trump's company apologizes for hawking interview jewelry — A business owned by Ivanka Trump apologized Tuesday for using a major interview to promote a bracelet that costs thousands of dollars. — After President-elect Donald Trump — and his family were interviewed on …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, alan.com, AOL and East Bay Times

Jim Mertens / WQAD-TV:

Davenport man loses bet, gets Donald Trump tattoo on lower back — DAVENPORT, Iowa - Zach Cobert supports Bernie Sanders but it's Donald Trump whose leaving the biggest imprint on his life. — “Oh my God, what am I doing here?” — Zach is settling a bet with a buddy.

Shane Goldmacher / Politico:

Trump team talks of setting up political arm — Donald Trump's top advisers are discussing a plan to launch a new political organization outside the White House and the Republican Party to harness the energy that powered his populist candidacy, according to people familiar with talks.

Associated Press:
Amid Strains, Trump Says Only He Knows Finalists for Cabinet

Discussion: Politico, ABC News and Associated Press

Jeffrey Katzenberg / Hollywood Reporter:

Jeffrey Katzenberg Pens Open Letter to Hollywood After Trump Victory — One of the industry's Democratic leaders, the Hillary Clinton supporter writes for THR about her “heart-wrenching” loss and his cautious optimism: “Whatever path President-elect Trump chooses, the way of Candidate Trump will not be our way.”