Transition Team Requests Major General Stay Extra Three Days
The Trump transition team has reversed course and is now asking the head of the Washington, D.C. National Guard to not resign at 12:01 PM on Inauguration Day, after massive nationwide outrage including from at least one local city councilman. Maj. Gen. Errol R. Schwartz received a memo instructing him to tender his resignation effective 12:01 PM January 20, the moment Donald Trump is sworn in as president – which is a customary expectation of all presidential political appointees and cabinet members on every Inauguration Day, even when a president is re-elected.Â
Schwartz, whose actual title is Commanding General of the Militia of the District of Columbia National Guard, Washington, will be overseeing his troops along with an additional 5000 U.S. military members as part of the security efforts to protect the hundreds of thousands of people expected to be in D.C. during the inauguration. But as soon as President-elect Donald Trump becomes President Trump, Major General Schwartz will become retired Major General Schwartz.
After tremendous outrage, The Washington Post, which first published the story of Schwartz being relieved of duty during the Inauguration Day ceremony, is now reporting the Trump transition team has asked Schwartz to stay on duty for an additional three days. Major General Schwartz has declined.
“Schwartz said he turned down the transition team’s offer because, by then, he had begun packing up his office and notified his staff,” The Washington Post reported Saturday evening. “He said he believes the offer came only as a result of the negative attention his departure attracted.”
The transition team received a list of all political appointees and not only have they not requested any Obama appointees stay until replaced – as is also customary for many of people in the 4000 jobs the White House hires – but they specifically denied requests from appointees to stay in their roles until they are replaced, including overseas ambassadors with children in schools in foreign countries.
Among other customary resignations, Trump’s transition team has also accepted the resignations of the two civil heads of the federal government agency that works to ensure America’s nuclear weapons are secure.
You can respond directly to the Trump Transition Team by sending your comments to them on Twitter: @Transition2017 or to Donald Trump directly @RealDonaldTrump
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Image via National Guard
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