AMAC EXCLUSIVE
If former President Donald Trump successfully completes his comeback bid this November, he should expect no shortage of efforts from entrenched bureaucrats and Biden’s outgoing political aides to sabotage his second term before it even begins. A rock-solid transition plan will be absolutely critical for him to effectively govern over the next four years.
Scorched-earth methods have become a favorite of outgoing Democrat administrations since at least the turn of the century. After the contentious election cycle in 2000, the incoming aides to President George W. Bush were surprised to find that their predecessors in the Clinton administration hadn’t exactly left them a warm welcome.
Phone cords had been ripped from the walls, antiques had been stolen, and notes were scattered about with messages such as “Hail to the thief.” Most infamously of all, the “W” key had been removed from keyboards, an obvious barb at the eponymous middle initial of the incoming president. A GAO report found a total of $15,000 in damages during the transition from Bill Clinton to George W. Bush.
But those hijinks pale in comparison to what Donald Trump has in store for him upon returning to the White House next year.
During the presidential transition, there is no more important mantra than “personnel is policy.” The number one enemy of the Trump transition will undeniably be the Deep State. Uttering the phrase “Deep State” is usually met with mockery from the left, who brush the concept off as a right-wing conspiracy. However, it is hard not to believe in a Deep State when the full context is taken into account.
Fears about a transition of power in America date back to the transition from President John Adams to Thomas Jefferson in 1801. This was the first time that the presidency was handed from one political party to another. In other nations throughout history, such a transition would have been met with bloodshed. Yet, because of our nation’s strong religious tradition and ironclad Constitution, we were able to make that transition a smooth one.
At that critical period in American history, our federal government had less than 150 non-military employees to serve 5.3 million citizens. That’s roughly one federal employee per 35,350 citizens.
Compare that to our federal government today, which boasts (or bloats) around 2,250,000 federal employees for 341,000,000 citizens. That’s a staggering ratio of one federal employee for every 152 Americans. Without a doubt, the personnel aspect of presidential transitions has raised the stakes to a whole new level.
With such an enormous federal workforce, the prospect of entrenched bureaucrats who work for their own interests rather than for the chief executive is all but certain.
We saw this in practice with the first Trump transition. In the past, newly elected presidents enjoyed what was known as a “honeymoon phase,” where a wave of goodwill was afforded to the new chief when he first takes office. This typically extends to Congress and the media as well, who give the new president a bit of a break to get settled in.
Such a break was never afforded to Donald Trump. He had to scrape and claw for every inch of progress and positive coverage even before taking office. The media establishment hammered him from the front, repeating baseless Democrat claims that Trump was a “Russian asset” and an “illegitimate president,” while the Deep State stabbed him in the back.
One of the earliest examples of this was the trap set for National Security Advisor Mike Flynn, whose phone call was wiretapped by one of our own intelligence agencies, causing an interview with federal agents that led to his ouster. The late great Rush Limbaugh put it best when he described the Deep State by saying, “They’re trying to isolate Trump from the people he trusts… from the best people around him.”
Sadly, what happens during the presidential transition tends to linger long after the transition is over. The same frustrating pattern continued throughout Trump’s presidency, where the federal bureaucracy worked around the clock to confound his every move.
It’s important to note that in spite of this perpetual weight around his neck, Trump still achieved more conservative wins than any other president in modern history. But the lesson from the first transition is a poignant one nonetheless.
Now that the Republican primary has been cleared for President Trump, he has an important decision to make. Every Republican, from hardline conservatives to the worthless pollster and pundit RINOs, will compete to be the voice in Donald Trump’s ear. He can surround himself either with the freedom-loving fighters who believe in his America First vision, or the disloyal guns-for-hire who are only out to make a buck and a name for themselves.
Trump must obviously surround himself with true believers at the highest levels, but the key to an effective transition doesn’t end with the top offices. The conservative movement must also rally around Trump by providing him with qualified candidates for every lower office as well.
Don’t underestimate the power of a low-level staffer to stymie a president’s momentum. Those low-level staffers have the power to leak critical information to the press, slow down the wheels of government, and damage the reputation of the executive – look no further than the New York Times’ infamous “Anonymous” op-ed for evidence of this.
As any conservative elected official will tell you, finding good staffers is no easy task. Only the combined might of the conservative movement has the manpower to supply Trump with an army of staffers who can help him wage war on the Deep State.
The battle to secure conservative governance for our nation does not end when the Republican primary is over. It doesn’t even end when the general election is over. To secure true conservative leadership, Republicans must rally around Trump to ensure a smooth transition back into power.
Ed Martin is a lawyer who succeed iconic conservative leader Phyllis Schlafly as President of the Phyllis Schlafly Eagles, the pro-family organization with leaders in every state. He clerked for the federal court of appeals and has served chief of staff to the governor of Missouri, chairman of the St. Louis board of elections, and in 1997 as special assistant to Pope John Paul II.
All Republicans must rally around each other. But we must rally around good legislation, good public servants, good intentions for the welfare of American citizens.
Start with repealing the ability for one House member to impeach the party’s Speaker. Although I agree with much of what Marjorie Tayor Greene believes, she needs to count to 10 before creating more chaos in Congress. A second Speaker impeachment gives the GOP a black eye, which the mainstream media are only too eager to picture on their front covers.
If Republicans win both houses of Congress and the White House this November, we have to address the crazy spending that adds to the national debt and find ways to secure the future of Medicare and Social Security. No one wants to do it–and it can end many political careers–but with plenty of advance preparation, concise and understandable methodology, and a gradual and painless rollout, the citizens of this country will realize the importance of taking steps now to avoid cuts in the future.
I don’t know what, but something must be done to stop these endless false accusations from the other side. That means cleaning up the FBI, the DOJ, the IRS, and the media. Cut the number of people in government; one federal employee for each 152 citizens is lunacy, especially when adding in all the other levels of government. This is unsustainable! Simplify, simplify. Any employees engaging in wild accusations found to be untrue should be fired immediately and lose all benefits. Sue the media or pull their licenses if they spread false information. The rule of law extends equally to every individual, not favorably just for being a democrat or an old man with a poor memory.
We have to get tough. President Trump has thick skin and has weathered countless court battles. His presidency (pre-Covid) demonstrated how quickly we can turn prosperous with the right policies even in the face of endless distractions thrown his way. We need to hire loyal and capable people to guard the gate during the transition. No more theft, no more rigging the infrastructure, no glitches. We must insist on a peaceful and cooperative changing of administrations.
I wouldn’t count our chickens before they hatch. Other than the obvious attempt to jail Trump with the frivolous charges, Democrats have been relatively quiet. I believe they have something up their sleeves.
Somehow they may try some new tricks that hasn’t been tried before. The illegalities of 2020 can’t be repeated. But what will they try next..?
We can pray that God will intervene to remove all the “deterrents” from President Trump’s path to restoring our nation to one that honors God, law and order and freedom. The “deterrents, like roaches, are difficult to eliminate, especially when their nest has become so large.
He needs to break the federal employees union, and fire all of them just like Reagan did to the air traffic controllers. As long as they are allowed to keep their jobs they will do everything they can to sabotage Donald Trump. They don’t care what happens to the rest of the country they are rooting for the destruction of the United States they are so brainwashed they do not realize they will go down with it
Anyone who claims to be a Republican or Conservative must support DJT in this election. Groups like the Lincoln (Pedophile) Project and Friends of 43 who stand with anyone other than the GOP nominee must be trivialized because the harm they do to GOP candidates at any level only benefits the Communists. I don’t think Biden will actually finish the campaign because the Communists are trying to make him step aside now. Whomever they run against Trump is going to try to hitch a ride on one of the Communists’ favorite race or gender card, so the more all GOP’s stick together, the better the chances in November to do something that Americans need and want: get Obiden out of office, end the invasion at our borders and reduce the cost o living for all Americans.
The Lord will help those who help themselves. He should fire every department head he is legally permitted to within a few minutes of taking office. That will put their deputies on notice until new appointments are made.
Trump Transistion 2:
VET ALL AIDES
IMPROVE background checks
Rehire old staffers PT IE Gorka etc?
Vet staffers from Obama, Biden admin
Improve WH communications
NO 2016 Rerun
This is very true. It boggles my mind that the deep state does horrendous things, most of which are illegal and untrue, and still continue in power with no repercussions. Accuse the Republicans of the very things they themselves are doing. The most concerning part is there are millions of Americans that believe this crap. ???? What the heck?
It’s tough to drain the proverbial swamp after the swamp creatures have convinced the public that the swamp is really their reservoir. The masses are deluded into believing government is the solution rather than recognizing it’s the problem. As the author stated, personnel policy is critical. Vivek Ramaswamy’s recognition that the organs of government must be partially disinvested from the D.C. area is a good start.
So sorry, Larry, but “the illegalities of 2020 can’t be repeated”?? Oh Yes they can and will unless constitutionalists do all they can in every state to minimize voter fraud. View “Let My People Go” a film by Professor Clements will strike the fear of voting in your heart. There just might be a reason that the dems are not worried about fielding a far inferior candidate.
Probably the best thing a new president could do to slow down the deep state would be to put a hiring freeze on all federal agencies. Time and attrition would help!
Too bad Trump can’t fire mainstream media. They will screech and howl at everything he does. How I hate seeing “the news” playing in public spaces everywhere! Pure propaganda.
Biden can hold a fund raiser with wealthy donor pals but the press still call them the “party of the working ckass”? What Deep State exists that isn’t operating OPENLY at this point? They won’t bother with back-stabbing subterfuge when they can sabotage publicly, in full view of the approving press! And what of the Justice system? Still searching desperately for Trump court cases to prosecute!
EVERY POLITICIAN AND EVERY BUREAUCRAT WHO BROKE THEIR OATH OF OFFICE — LOTS OF JAIL TIME, AND OFF THE TAXPAYER PAYROLL, AND ALL THEIR ASSETS CONFISCATED AND THAT MONEY GOES TO THE FEDERAL TREASURY! IT’S TIME TO STOP TALKING AND TIME TO TAKE ACTION AGAINST ALL THESE TRAITORS!
It does not matter who wins this election, chaos will ensue…
If Trump is elected, and that’s a mighty big “if,” when one considers that the 2020 election was unquestionably stolen for Biden, the denizens of the Deep State – both Democrats AND Republicans – will attack him 24/7, just like they did following his 2016 win. And just how will Biden’s minions be stopped from stealing the 2024 election? Because every government agency, department and bureau has been corrupted, who or what government entity would Trump be able to turn to that would support him according to the rule of law? Even rulings by the SCOTUS that are unfavorable to the Democrats are being ignored or misinterpreted. My sense is that the Democrats will do anything and everything to keep Trump from winning the election; and if he somehow manages to win the election, he will be fettered by the denizens of the deep state, or removed from office by nefarious means. Moreover, the US Constitution is being slowly relegated to an historic document that is not being followed as it was meant to be. Lastly, unless and until the use of Executive Orders is constrained by Congress, US Presidents will continue to turn America into a single party dictatorship.
There is no doubt that the Democrats can sink even lower than their already unethical, unprincipled and immoral selves can sink. In fact they are in a bottomless pit and continue to dig deeper and Hell is waiting. They haven’t a clue what fair play and real winner mean. Daily another deed or statement comes out to shed the light on their contemptible behavior to the extent that little surprises me now. BUT I am so scared that articles such as this one assumes Trump will win. That kind of attitude lost us 2020. We must fight like there is no choice but to fight, circle the wagons and go get ’em or we’ll have a repeat of ’20 only this time our country will be lost for good. VOTE RED!
In addition, the idea that the great percentage of civil servants have lifetime jobs with little performance evaluation is a big part of the permanent deep state in Washington. In effect, national election results are in large part nullified by lifetime civil service careers — especially when the vast proportion of the civil servants are left of center and are barnacles to the mandates won in an election. This problem is number one to be solved to make the bureaucracies responsive to the people and the elected president’s program.
Honestly, When he’s our President again the first thing, I mean the very first thing he needs to do is deport, deport, deport. From here on out VET all who want to come here. If they come illegally give them 3 yrs prison the first time. Make it labor camps where they grow food, raise cattle, and make money to cover their own place in prison.Its as though today they can commit crimes, demand money, etc, etc. Well crap then I should be able to take an armored car, Go in a bank and say give me $25,000. I need it. Thats what obiden has been doing, giving away America.
So the DemoncRATS will do all they can to screw up his presidency yet they claim to be Americans? Whatever happened to support our leader? I understand where obama and obiden are nightmares to the American way of life but some of Biden’s plans need support. Support him with Israel, support him with ? Umm ? Well there’s one anyhow.
TRUMP knows how to MAGA. I hope as soon as he is President he has that NY Judge, DA, and the Atlanta treasonous vipers all arrested for interfering with a US Election with lies and underhanded dealings. Those should be federal charges.
The first thing that needs to happen is to fire the director of the FBI, Christopher Wray. He’s a worthless POS.
The Reagan administration put great weight in selecting those who had actively supported his campaign and in competence. It was hard for the Washington crowd to squeeze in. At the same time, a certain number of locals were picked for certain political posts in recognition of the value of their knowledge and contacts.
Generally though, being able to have a tangible record of support from early days of the campaign was to have a gold medal for appointment. Hopefully, this time Trump understands that as stated here, “personnel is policy” in both formulation and execution
As someone who has sought out Project 2025, I whole heartedly agee.
Nothing short of treason!
And if anyone is discovered pulling any definable sabotage of Trumps transition back into the white house, they should be prosecuted to the maximum extent allowable by law! Want to end this kind of crap??? Lock-um up for a very long time to send a very clear message!
No the demoncrats are never giving up. Even when they fraudulently win an election. As we have seen the past 4 years. They have branded half the population as Nazis and Trump as Hitler. They are not giving an inch. Their opponents have to be eliminated at all costs. That is why they hired 87,000 more IRS agents and in other areas in govt to be sure they have those votes. 152 people and 1 govt bureaucrat. Soon all dem supporters are working for the govt to control their opponents. Ole Joe and his party are working hard to break this country for everything they want to do they want money. And once they get it they send it to the Ukraine. You know like the Build Back Better bill. 500,000 loading stations were going to be build sofar 10 have been build. Where is the rest of the money. You know to replace the racists overpasses and highways our diligent Buttigig keeps talking about? The dems have no plan they call everything racists their opponents Nazis and want to have the power forever. What they did when Bush “W” came into power is childish beyond the pale. Take the W off the keyboards. Just like at this sham fundraiser all of them wearing aviator glasses. And a puppet like Steven Colbert as moderator. He was the only one they could find to ask the questions they had rehearsed ahead of time. And then ole Joe still screwed up by telling lies. That whole thing was the top 1% showing us peons who is the boss. Trump will have a hard time after his election to clean up the mess they made. For all the judges are bought or compromised. I am afraid the unrest will turn into a civil war.
Exactly what I have been thinking. He must surround himself with credible trustworthy people on all levels. He has experience now that he did not have the first time.
This point is well-made. It’s old news, but it never hurts to give a reminder that the “Democrat Machine” has the collective “mind of a child”, and their eager expressions are very seldom about governance.
In fact, I’ve been wondering whether the “Democrats” will try to do even more illegal surveillance on the Trump Campaign than they did in 2016 (fake FISA warrants and all). Perhaps they’ll sing the praises of an FBI director who provided perjurious testimony, leaked sensitive info to the press and lied to the public like a troubled adolecsent… to salvage his “image”.
Whatever they do, it will be memorable…. as usual.
Once President Trump wins the election in November 2024, he needs to do what newly elected Argentina President Javier Milei has done, and reduce our Federal Government by about 50-75%.
Start by Firing all of those at the top of each agency, and work your way down. Plus, completely eliminate many of those agencies altogether. Most Fed agencies are way overbloated with nothing but beaurocrats in it for the money and corruption.
God Bless and Protect President Trump, his family, and his new administration.
If obama stays in DC again and runs a shadow govt to undermine Trump (again), he should be charged with treason.
Trump isn’t a newbee to the swamp things and I believe he has learned his lesson.
#1 Fire every Democrat in the white house. None can be trusted to act in an impartial manner. Even if they are going to sue.
#2 Cut all Federal Employees pay by 25% the amount of inflation they have inflicted on the America people while getting pay raises.
#3 Forced retirement of all Federal employees that have 20 years of service and are entitled to collect retirement benefits.
#4 Replacement of all agency heads regardless of party affiliation.
#5 Reverse all the proclamations/ decrees Biden/ Obama have enacted.
The above actions would save the Government Trillions of taxpayer’s money and reduce the national debt substantially.
Than the Totalitarian Communist Democrat Party Comrade’s can learn to live within the same monetary realities the rest of us Americans have forced to live.
Project 2025 from Heritage.org
The bigger the government, the harder it is to reform or eliminate. That’s been the precept all along. I say close down the useless bureaucracies and start over with only what is necessary. Those presently employed should be banned from applying for any new positions created and everyone of the applicants should be thoroughly vetted.
Commie/Globalist/Demonrat/RINO TRAITORS will do ANYTHING to ensure their nemesis, anti-commie/anti-globalism, pro-Constitutional Republic, pro-sovereignty, and pro-rule of law, America FIRST President Trump never takes office! Trump needs not only many human protectors, but God’s protection (and many believe, as past attempts have failed, that he has it!) Beause, if Trump wins, the traitors know they will have no hope of getting their utopia of total power/control/wealth, and many will (rightly) be indicted for treason! These CDGR traitors are the REAL destroyers of “democracy” (look no further than THEIR censoring and lawfare), and true to their art of deflection, they all parrot the circulated-to-all-comrades memo of lies, word for word, lies about Trump!
What’s scary is that the traitors can’t count on election shenanigans to get them enough votes to win in November. American Pravda/TASS extoll polls (skewed!!) showing the fraud puppets JoeBama neck and neck with pro-Republic Trump, they must be pumped up because, in actuality, D voters are fleeing the plantation by the thousands! The traitor’s previously indoctrinated, propaganda-bamboozled useful idiots are waking the hell up! Folk who have voted D their entire lives have realized the D party is 100% the Communist/Globalist Party of Destruction, Misery and Death! If, if JoeBama somehow win in November, it’s a matter of time before we own nothing, eat bugs, freeze/roast when the grid collapses (their green isn’t reliable energy, just green money in THEIR wallets) and either sit down and shut up… or be hauled off to re-education camp, a gulag, or worse.
We have a Republic, can we keep it?
Yes, if traitors JoeBama’s socialism/marxism/communism/globalism takeover is stopped! JoeBama = totalitarian tyranny hell!
This is why he needs to take advantage of the work in progress by Project 2025, a major coordinated effort led by The Heritage Foundation, in conjunction with scores of conservative groups across the nation.
I will wait to see what happens with ads so far the Republican party does not advertise to much compared to the Dems here in Wisconsin that is all that is on the air is Biden what he has done to make this country great and what he plans to do and he is mad about Roe v Wade he plans to bring it back that is all Trumps fault he is all for abortion in this country All the Republicans need to do is start to work together and back Trump. They need to show what the border is like and all the people living in the streets like a 3rd world country.instead they do not do to much.
I have no doubt that Trump knows exactly what he is in for. Everything pales when compared to what he has experienced since his inauguration as POTUS 45. I think it is the deep state that should be worried, not the other way around.
A very pithy article, concise and to the point. Let the powers that will be in place for the Donald in the fall, take note of what is in this journalist piece! For certain it will serve them well if they are made aware of it!
I have read that the “Deep State” cannot be fired. Fine. I would establish a new multipurpose office in Antartica and begin transferring personnel to that office with the sole job of counting paper clips. I would equip the office with a single rotary dial telephone, with limited access, and an SOS transponder for REAL emergencies. If personnel refused to transfer to the new office I would offer them the sole option of quitting.
Trumps first move should be to fire 100,000 bureaucrats.
If Trump is successful in his bid to become President again, and I hope that is true for the salvation of this country, he must become a “war time” President. By this I mean he must be proactive in rooting out the Deep State players and those who oppose a return to America’s prosperity. Politics is a dirty game and the Democrats wrote the book. It’s time to turn the tables on them and make them accountable for their actions to ruin this country.
The question is not will President Biden win his reelection bid; the question is how large his will his margin be as the Republican Party continues to collapse all around us like a house of cards.
Bill Clinton’s people stole the “W” keys….
At least they didn’t send an angry mob to attempt to murder Congress
There is that….
“Trump must obviously surround himself with true believers at the highest levels”
So nothing but a series of “yes men” who will uncritically carry out his wishes without challenging him. How well did that sort of government work in the communist world?
I will gladly enforce the Ashley Babbitt trespassing rule against any federal government employee that does not immediately do what the President orders them to do.
It is time to force our employees to respect us or die.
Well he had better be aware because the deep state democrats are already planning one big Shenanigan, they are planning to pull Biden from the Presidential Race in June and put Gavin Newsome in his place in his place. And they say he can beat Trump.And that is all we need is California politics through out the whole U.S.A.
The Trump team should expose ANY shenanigans like the DIMMs did to “W.” Record them and put them on the TRUE media and let the people see again just how ROTTEN the DIMMs are. “W” tried to pretend that everything was all right–WHY?
Be very careful!!
First, transfer 50% of EVERYBODY in EVERY federal department to the Department of Veteran Affairs,,, If and WHEN they correct the current mess and provide the care and treatment our veterans deserve we can more forward to the rest of our bloated federal goverment..If that doesn’t work… transfer these bureaucrats to the Department of Transportation to pick up litter from our highways… or, make them auditors for the IRS to see if their fellow bureaucrats and/or elected officials are guilty of any insider trading. REAL WORK for the PEOPLE, by the people in the DEEP STATE.
this is why on day one he needs to do a 70% cut in the budget and employment for all governemtn agencies. then they will all have less time for politics.
There is no doubt that the Democrats can sink even lower than their already unethical, unprincipled and immoral selves can sink. In fact they are in a bottomless pit and continue to dig deeper and Hell is waiting. They haven’t a clue what fair play and real winner mean. Daily another deed or statement comes out to shed the light on their contemptible behavior to the extent that little surprises me now. BUT I am so scared that articles such as this one assumes Trump will win. That kind of attitude lost us 2020. We must fight like there is no choice but to fight, circle the wagons and go get ’em or we’ll have a repeat of ’20 only this time our country will be lost for good. VOTE RED!