'America First agenda': Trump transition team falling painfully short of hiring goals

After clashing with many of the traditional conservatives who were part of his first administration — from former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to ex-White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly — President-elect Donald Trump is hoping to surround himself with MAGA loyalists during his second term. That includes top officials as well as people further down the ladder.

But according to CBS News reporters Jennifer Jacobs and Ed O'Keefe, Trump's transition team is falling short of their hiring goals.

In an article published on January 6 — the day the 2024 Electoral College votes will be counted and certified during a joint session of Congress — Jacobs and O'Keefe explain, "The Trump transition had set a goal of bringing on as many as 2000 political appointees on January 20, Day One of the administration," the reporters explain. "But it's falling short of that target, two sources told CBS News. About 4000 political appointees serve across the federal government currently."

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The CBS News reporters continue, "Around 1200 political appointees were in place when Trump assumed the presidency in January 2017, aides estimated. President Biden's transition chair Ted Kaufman said, in 2021, his administration had 1136 political appointees on Inauguration Day."

Trump, according to Jacobs and O'Keefe, has "warned against bringing in anyone who might subvert his agenda and was highly involved in selecting his Cabinet-designees and several top management posts."

However, he has "left the decisions about the bulk of staffing for mid- and lower-level positions to those on his team who will lead departments and agencies."

Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Florida), Trump's pick for national security adviser, is emphasizing that anyone who joins the second Trump Administration must be a loyalist through and through.

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On January 6 on X, formerly Twitter, Waltz posted, "Let me be clear: anyone working under President Trump in the NSC will be fully aligned with his America First agenda. Any rumors or suggestions to the contrary are fake news and a distraction from the mission. We will clear the decks to Make America Great Again!"

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Read CBS News' full article at this link.