Former President Donald J. Trump has appointed two of his friends and financial backers to oversee a transition team preparing for his potential return to power. The move comes as polls show that his once-commanding lead evaporated after President Biden dropped out of the election and Vice President Kamala Harris became the Democratic nominee.
The two chairs of the Trump transition, Linda E. McMahon and Howard Lutnick, will oversee efforts to identify and vet potential political appointees and draft executive orders and other plans to implement Mr. Trump’s policy proposals, including a sweeping crackdown on immigration and raising tariffs on imported goods.
The selection of the two, which the Trump campaign announced on Friday, was notable for several reasons. As a matter of timing, it came months after a typical presidential campaign starts working on contingency planning to ensure a smooth transition should its candidate win the election.
