The tensions played a role in a Friday shakeup in which the president-elect replaced his transition team chief Chris Christie with his running mate Mike Pence. Sources familiar with the move say it was precipitated partly by clashes between Christie’s allies and rival factions on the transition team, as well as Trump’s influential son-in-law Jared Kushner…
“It’s the same situation as in the primary – everyone has the knives out for each other,” said a Republican operative who worked with the campaign and is now advising people on the transition team…
In fact, some of the clashes stem from the tension between early Trump loyalists and the GOP establishment. There’s lingering distrust, for instance, between allies of Trump’s initial campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, who is being discussed as a possible chairman of the Republican National Committee, and allies of Reince Priebus, the current RNC chairman…
A handful of sources in and around the Trump transition team said there was no evidence that the president-elect had even reviewed any of the binders of policy and personnel proposals produced by the team. Trump’s only contact with the transition staff, the sources said, had come through Christie, the New Jersey governor and transition team chief who was demoted on Friday from transition team chairman to being one of several vice chairs.
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