Donald J. Trump is the first president elected in the history of the republic that has no political or military experience. The business tycoon ran an insurgent campaign in his bid to become president, speaking of dismantling the hold that career lobbyists and politicians have on the country and of replacing the old political guard that is said to be the lifeblood of the Washington political machine. But first, he may need to stay after class and learn how to run the country.
According to The Wall Street Journal, president Obama was so taken aback by Mr. Trump’s lack of an understanding of the scope and breadth of the job he will be taking on, that he’s offered his replacement some extra help. This after Trump chose Reince Priebus and Stephen Bannon to serve as the top advisers in his presidential cabinet. The two men are being lumped together in history now, but they stand in direct opposition to each other. While Priebus is an experienced Washington insider who will now serve as White House chief of staff, Bannon was the chairman of Breitbart News, one of the key outlets that helped propel Trump to the presidency.
But, now that the time has come to do some governing, Trump is playing catch-up. It has been intimated to The Journal by those familiar with the meeting, that his aides were ignorant of a few things. Namely, they were “unaware that the entire presidential staff working in the west wing had to be replaced at the end of Mr. Obama’s term.”
This opportunity wasn’t lost on the president, who took some time to try and convince Trump to keep key provisions of the Affordable Care Act intact—despite the president-elect’s previous rhetoric. To that end, Trump has swiveled on the provision that prohibits insurance companies from denying coverage to those with pre-existing conditions. He’s also shifted his views on keeping young adults on their parents’ insurance plans until they are age 27.
The budding friendship of Trump and Obama plays as an unlikely partnership. But it’s been a bright spot after an election riddled with hyperbole and vitriol. The tasks ahead for President-elect Trump are numerous and all-encompassing, and it seems even he acknowledges that he’ll need all the help he can get.
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