As a candidate, Donald Trump tore up the political rule book. As the president-elect, the Republican billionaire, who was back at work building his cabinet on Friday, is expectedly showing no signs of tempering his unconventional style. On the heels of his first “thank you” rally in Ohio — one of a handful of Rust Belt states that were key to his victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton — Trump was at home in New York for another day of interviews with cabinet hopefuls. Former US ambassador to the UN John Bolton, reportedly on the short list to be secretary of state, was one of the many expected to move in and out of Trump Tower in midtown Manhattan throughout the day. 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney is also another runner for the top post.
From his unorthodox intervention to keep manufacturing jobs in Indiana to his surprise announcement that he would nominate James Mattis to head the Pentagon, Trump the provocateur is still keeping everyone guessing. Trump’s choice of the tough-talking retired Marine general to head the Pentagon was generally welcomed by both Republicans and Democrats — though it creates an unusual situation in a country that values civilian control of the military. The 66-year-old “Mad Dog” Mattis, who commanded US forces in both Iraq and Afghanistan, is the second retired general to be named to Trump’s governing team after Michael Flynn, tapped for the post of national security advisor.
Meanahile, the Republican Party, which was split during the campaign on whether to back the political novice for the highest office in America, has quickly adapted to the new normal. Paul Ryan, the speaker of the House of Representatives who refused to campaign for Trump in the run-up to Election Day, is now firmly in the president-elect's corner. “He was a very unconventional candidate. He's going to be an unconventional president,” Ryan told the CBS news program “60 Minutes,” in an interview. Trump, who sometimes almost seems surprised himself at the power and influence now in his hands, is clearly enjoying the process of building his governing team.
