In this free preview of Crooked's Friends of the Pod subscription show "Inside 2024," (subscribe here) Dan Pfeiffer, Alyssa Mastromonaco, and Caroline Reston dive deep into the history and drama of presidential transitions, break down the latest moves from President-Elect Trump’s transition team, and share some behind-the-scenes stories from their early days as fresh-faced staffers in the 2008 Obama White HouseFor a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.For more exclusive content, and to support Crooked's mission of building independent progressive media, subscribe now at crooked.com/friends or through the Pod Save America feed on Apple Podcasts.We’re offering 25% off new annual Friends of the Pod subscriptions for a limited time only, through January 1st. A Friends of the Pod subscription is the single best way to help Crooked Media continue our mission of building a progressive, independent media company. Plus get access to ad-free episodes, exclusive bonus content, a Discord community, and more. Sign up today at crooked.com/friends or through the Pod Save America feed on Apple Podcasts.
Chapter 1: What happens during a presidential transition?
All right.
Basically, in exchange for the taxpayer funds, you follow government rules. If you don't take the taxpayer funds, you don't have to follow those rules.
Work smarter, not harder.
I mean, if we could have announced those cabinet picks on Twitter, we probably should have.
Would have been so much easier. So you're talking about how previously before even winning the election, you are already prepping, even though you feel like it's bad juju. OK, you won. What is happening the next day?
It is hell on earth. Horrible. Horrible. Howard Wolfson, who worked for Hillary Clinton, described presidential campaigns as a pie eating contest where the prize is more pie. And that's exactly what it is. We won. We had a victory celebration late into the night. And then several of us, myself and Alyssa included, had to come to the office at like 9 a.m.
the morning after the election to meet with our new boss, Rahm Emanuel.
It was like 7.30, 8 a.m.
Yeah, it was just, and then you're just like, you're working. For the people who were going to work on the transition, you went, which includes basically sort of the senior staff of the campaign, you went right to work on your new job. There was no break. The best night of your life to the worst. Yeah, it's truly a terrible morning. And it's just pure chaos.
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Chapter 2: What roles did the Obama transition team members have?
But it's like our expectations for what is acceptable conduct from Donald Trump have been so lowered because we're comparing it to Trump of 16, not the previous 44 presidents.
This is a great time for me to ask this question that I've been dying to talk to you both about. RFK. I don't know if you guys saw this story. It was reported that there is a job application process that is asking some batshit questions. Let me give you one example. This is per The Independent. One section asked applicants to pick three or more attitudes that suit them as such.
Quote, I require excessive admiration. Or I quote, I don't have that much interest in having a sexual experience with another person. Another was I believe in many things. Others don't like having a sixth sense, clairvoyance and telepathy. And as an adolescent, I had bizarre fantasies or preoccupations. Is this normal?
Are these the job applications to work for the administration? It is so wild. I had to read it many times. Something like this can't be true, but it is.
I have no recollection of what our job application was.
No, we didn't because these are for the cabinet.
Oh, these are people who are going to be in the cabinet.
Yes, these are his applications. But I still don't think Kathleen Sebelius was digging into these kinds of thought starters.
Yeah, it's bananas.
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