Preparations for a transition of power in Washington are in full swing with just two weeks until US President-elect Donald Trump takes up residence in the White House. Obama staffers are engaging in refresher meetings and giving tours to their Team Trump counterparts.

The orderly and peaceful transfer of power between US government administrations is a hallmark of American democracy. Despite all the rancor of the 2016 US presidential race, there is a need for the exiting Democratic administration to share collective wisdom and lessons learned with incoming Republicans for the betterment of the entire country. The scale of the transition effort is massive with Trump appointees slated to take over thousands of jobs across the vast US government. So far there are some signs of transition cooperation between the Obama and Trump administrations as well as instances where advice will clearly not be sought after or taken.

President-elect Trump announced his picks for top positions in the White House staff this week and as expected those selected were longstanding members of the Republican Party. Even though some in the incoming Trump administration have worked at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. under previous Republican presidents much has changed over the years in terms of logistics, protocol, technology and more. Current Obama staffers are engaging in refresher meetings and giving tours to their Team Trump counterparts to help ensure a smooth government transition.

There is some reported friction in the handover of power however as Trump’s refusal to accept President Obama’s conclusion that Russia interfered in the election has strained relations. Also, the looming possibility that Trump’s daughter and son-in-law might play important roles in the White House is in violation of anti-nepotism laws and said to contribute to tensions. Finally, a recent vow by the incoming White House press secretary that “business as usual is over” with traditional media practices may indicate communications advice from Team Obama on regular interaction with journalists and public will be ignored.

The Pentagon is another arena where a smooth transition between administrations is vital to America’s national security. President Obama has called for a seamless military transition
to ensure that President-elect Trump will benefit from the same advice and experience that aided his defense operations and policies. Unlike at the White House there will not be massive personnel turnover at the Pentagon as many military leaders below the top post are not political appointees, but rather have climbed the ranks to their current positions.

Regardless of how helpful Obama is during the military transition it could be expected that national security priorities will shift under Trump. According to a Pentagon memo obtained by the media last month a list of top American defense priorities for the Trump administration did not include Russia. Also, there are news reports that Trump may move to pare down certain intelligence gathering agencies. Differences between the incoming and outgoing administrations over perceived threats to the US and the appropriate size and structure of America’s intelligence community could hamper a seamless transition at the Pentagon.

At the US State Department, which oversees America’s foreign affairs, the transition may be among the thorniest of any agency. The Trump transition team has reportedly asked for the names of State Dept. officials who work on international issues such as countering violent extremism, gender equality and the environment. Trump has also said he may drastically change the way the US interacts with the United Nations. It is presumed that Trump intends to identify those who are unlikely to adopt his stance on America’s role in the world and his ideas for public diplomacy. Knowing that Trump wishes to fill Foggy Bottom and US embassy posts around the world with like-minded thinkers, it may be challenging for current State Dept. workers to train their potential replacements.

Many Americans nowadays probably take for granted the passing of the baton peacefully from one US presidential administration to another since it is expected. However, the transition process in Washington, DC over the next couple of weeks is as important as ever with scores of US government positions due to soon change hands. Hopefully both the incoming and outgoing administrations will continue to try and work past their differences and reaffirm that America is greater than any one president or political party.