(Dmytro “Henry” Aleksandrov, Headline USA) On Aug. 16, 2024, Donald Trump announced the leadership of his transition team, which will steer policy and personnel efforts ahead of his second term in the White House.
The Hill reported that two top donors would lead Trump’s official transition to his campaign: Linda McMahon, who previously served as head of the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term, and businessman Howard Lutnick, head of the financial firm Cantor Fitzgerald.
In the press release, Trump stated that McMahon and Lutnick would serve as co-chairs, and Sen. JD Vance, R–Ohio, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump would serve as honorary chairs.
“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. 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,” Trump said.
The news source reported that naming a transition team before Election Day is usual for presidential campaigns, as it lays the groundwork for taking office if the candidate wins.
Earlier this month, Lutnick hosted a fundraiser for Trump in the Hamptons, and McMahon, who co-founded World Wrestling Entertainment Inc., has led the pro-Trump think tank America First Policy Institute in recent years.
Trump Jr. previously talked about wanting to determine who might serve in his father’s second administration. He added during the Republican National Convention last month that he wanted “veto power” to overrule picks he did not trust.
“I want to block the liars. I want to block the guys that are, you know, pretending they’re with you. I just want to block the bad actors. I just want to be a block. That’s it,” he stated.
The news came after the reported tension between Trump Sr. and his current campaign managers, Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles. The Daily Caller and Headline USA reported that Trump Sr. may fire them, even though they were responsible for bringing back former 2016 campaign manager Corey Lewandowski and distancing the Trump campaign from Project 2025, which Democrats were using as one of their tools to defeat Trump.
