From picking Vance to blocking Pompeo, Trump junior is calling shots in US transition process

A power transition is underway in the US as President-elect Donald Trump pieces together what is being described by Western media as the most controversial cabinet in the country’s history. News agency Reuters has now reported that it could be Donald Trump Jr, the incoming president’s son, calling the shots from behind. Citing several sources, including Republican donors and loyalists, the news agency reported that Trump junior is playing an instrumental role in helping his father make high-stake decisions.

According to the report, Trump junior helped his father choose JD Vance as his running mate ahead of the elections and was behind blocking former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from joining the administration. Vance is Trump junior’s close friend, who worked as his extra political capital.

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Trump junior also championed the confirmation of controversial candidates such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the top US health official and Tulsi Gabbard as the Director of National Intelligence (DNI).

The criteria for selecting the best candidates is simple for the Junior: They must be Trump loyalists and have an anti-establishment view. He is now expected to play the role of an adviser to Donald Trump in the White House but will be kept away from day-to-day deliberations.

"The reality this time is we actually know what we're doing," Trump Junior told Fox News earlier this month. "And it's about surrounding my father with people who are both competent and loyal."

However, there have been some cases when Trump overruled Trump junior’s recommendations, for instance, preferring Senator Marco Rubio over Ric Grenell, a personal friend of Trump junior and former ambassador to Germany.

Junior is reportedly working at Mar-a-Lago round the clock to help with the transition process.

Donald Trump earlier vowed to keep his family members away from the “painful” job and has already named Susie Wiles, who helped to run the most disciplined of his election campaigns to date, as his chief of staff.

(With inputs from agencies)