Donald Trump’s Transition Team Announced
Donald Trump’s presidential campaign revealed on Friday that his transition team will be co-chaired by two significant donors and allies, Linda McMahon, the former head of his Small Business Administration, and Howard Lutnick, the chairman and CEO of financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald.
Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance, along with Trump’s two adult sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, will serve as honorary chairs, according to a press release from the campaign.
The selection of McMahon, who previously served as the CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and currently chairs the board at America First Policy Institute (AFPI), suggests that the conservative think tank formed by Trump administration officials after the 2020 election loss could play a significant role in shaping a potential second term for the former president.
AFPI, often described as a Republican “White House in waiting,” is led by former domestic policy council director Brooke Rollins and is home to several top Trump administration officials. Rollins commended McMahon as “a leader who knows how to build and lead large organizations.”
“She knows business. She knows policy. She knows America. She knows what works and how to lay the foundation for a new administration that will put the needs of America First and reclaim our country,” Rollins stated.
Lutnick, a billionaire and a major donor and fundraiser for Trump, recently hosted a fundraiser at his Hamptons residence where he raised millions for the GOP presidential nominee.
The Trump Vance 2025 Transition Inc. will operate as a separate 501c4 organization from the campaign.
“The 2024 GOP Platform to Make America Great Again is a forward-looking agenda that will deliver safety, prosperity, and freedom for the American people. My administration will deliver on these bold promises,” Trump declared in a statement. “We will restore strength, competence, and common sense to the Oval Office. I have absolute confidence the Trump-Vance Administration will be ready to govern effectively on Day One.”
The announcement of Trump’s transition team comes at a time when the Trump campaign is regrouping after President Joe Biden withdrew from the 2024 election. The formation of a ticket featuring Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has reenergized the Democratic Party and eliminated Trump’s polling lead over Biden.
Trump’s decision to appoint leaders for his transition team comes relatively late in the presidential campaign. In 2016, Trump named Chris Christie as his transition chair in May, but Christie was removed from the role shortly after Trump won the election.
McMahon and Lutnick will be responsible for overseeing the vetting and hiring of political appointees, as well as crafting policy proposals and executive orders for Trump to implement from day one of his administration.
Although Trump’s official transition efforts have just been announced, conservative organizations have been working behind the scenes for months to gather resumes and develop policies in case the former president returns to the White House. Trump has distanced himself from some of these efforts, particularly the work at Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025. Despite involving at least 140 former Trump administration officials, Trump claimed to know nothing about Project 2025 and criticized some of its policy recommendations as “absolutely ridiculous.”
