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Transition Turmoil? Trump Says Process Going 'Smoothly'

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Just a little more than a week after Donald Trump was elected, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe left for New York Thursday to meet with the president-elect.

Trump vowed during the campaign that allies like Japan should pay more for defense. And Abe may be looking for assurances that Trump will remain committed to the U.S.-Japan security alliance.

Trump says the transition is going smoothly despite some reports to the contrary. Former Congressman Mike Rogers, who was dumped from (or left) the Trump transition team, told CNN, "I think there is some confusion going on about a chain of command coming out of New York."

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said, "The beginning of any transition like this has turmoil because it's just the nature of the process and I think that Trump is very decisive."

Trump got an unlikely boost from outgoing Vice President Joe Biden, who said "no administration is ready on day one."  Previous White House transition teams have taken longer to name cabinet appointments.

Various names are floating around for different cabinet positions. Trump will meet today with South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who is reported to be under consideration for secretary of state. And the Wall Street Journal reports that former Texas governor Rick Perry is under consideration for energy secretary.

On Capitol Hill, Senate Republicans re-elected Mitch McConnell as majority leader, while Senate Democrats, as expected, choose New York Sen. Chuck Schumer as their new leader. Sens.Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, both heroes of the far Left, also got leadership positions.

The new Trump administration is already being challenged by several cities and college campuses over illegal immigration and Trump's campaign promise to deport illegals. Democratic mayors like Chicago's Rahm Emmanuel have vowed to defy the federal government and remain "sanctuary cities." College students across the country are also demanding that their schools be converted into sanctuary campuses.

Rutgers University student and illegal immigrant Diego Espinoza Rodriguez said, "I'm undocumented and I'm not afraid. It's very important for me to have a sanctuary campus...."

But without question, one of Trump's top priorities as soon as he takes office will be to get rid of some of the regulations and laws from the Obama administration.

That includes the Clean Power Plan, a measure to fight global warming that critics say hurts parts of the energy industry; the Clean Water Rule, which puts even some small bodies of water like wetlands and ponds under control of the federal government; rules regulating fracking for oil; and the Dodd-Frank regulations of the financial industry, which critics say has slowed down the economy.

It's all part of a big agenda awaiting President Trump and his administration when he takes office in January.

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About The Author

Dale
Hurd

Since joining CBN News, Dale has reported extensively from Western Europe, as well as China, Russia, and Central and South America. Dale also covered China's opening to capitalism in the early 1990s, as well as the Yugoslav Civil War. CBN News awarded him its Command Performance Award for his reporting from Moscow and Sarajevo. Since 9/11, Dale has reported extensively on various aspects of the global war on terror in the United States and Europe. Follow Dale on Twitter @dalehurd and "like" him at Facebook.com/DaleHurdNews.