Donald Trump Taps Jeff Sessions, Michael Flynn; Jared Kushner is His 'Kindred Spirit'

President-elect Donald Trump's transition team is moving into high gear after a rocky start with some key appointments beginning to take shape. Trump is expected to announce on Friday that he has offered the job of attorney general to Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the post of CIA director to U.S. Rep. Mike Pompeo of Kansas and the appointment of White House national security adviser to Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn.

It is not immediately clear which, if any, of the three have accepted the offers, but all three would bring a hardline hawkish view to a Trump administration.

Top Stories

Donald Trump Taps Jeff Sessions for Attorney General, Mike Pompeo for CIA, Michael Flynn for National Security Adviser: "President-elect Donald Trump is expected to announce on Friday that he has offered the job of attorney general to Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the post of CIA director to U.S. Rep. Mike Pompeo of Kansas and the appointment of White House national security adviser to Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn. It is not immediately clear which, if any, of the three have accepted the offers, but early reports suggest all three have. Filling three top slots within the incoming administration helps ease concerns after a rocky start for the Trump transition team." (Patch)

Trump Asks Flynn, a Fiery General, To Be Top Adviser and Plans Romney Meeting: "President-elect Donald Trump has asked Michael Flynn, a retired lieutenant general with a record of incendiary statements about Muslims, to be his White House national security adviser, a person close to the transition confirmed Thursday night." (The Washington Post)

In Jared Kushner, Trump Finds a Kindred Spirit: "People who know Kushner say that like Trump, he sees himself as an outsider who, despite his Ivy League pedigree, scoffs at intellectual and cultural elites; and believes that despite a mixed business track record, he possesses a 'golden touch.'" (Politico)

Trump's Transition Rollercoaster Ride: "Donald Trump's campaign was entirely unconventional, and his transition to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. is proving to be just that. But there were signs on Thursday that the weight of the presidency is beginning to sink in for Trump, and that the President-elect may be shifting from the bomb-throwing tactics he employed during the campaign to a more nuanced approach." (CNN)

Trump-Size Idea for a New President: Build Something Inspiring: "Here’s how President-elect Trump could unify a bitterly divided America, provide well-paying jobs to many of the millions of disaffected workers who voted for him, and lift the economy, stock market and tax rolls. All he needs to do is what he presumably does best: build something. And I don’t mean a few miles of asphalt or a paint job on a rusting bridge. Build something awe-inspiring. Something Americans can be proud of. Something that will repay the investment many times over for generations to come." (The New York Times)

From the Twitterverse

Is it already working?

Today's Numbers

• The U.S. dollar scaled to its highest level in almost 14 years against a basket of currencies on Friday.
• New York district attorney takes on Apple to unlock 400 seized iPhones.
• A 14-year-old girl who wanted her body to be preserved, in case she could be cured in the future, won a historic legal fight shortly before her death.
• "Engaged" in their work? 35 percent of female employees say they are, compared to 29 percent of male employees.

Quote of the Day

Truisms by President Obama:

“I don’t believe in apocalyptic—until the apocalypse comes. I think nothing is the end of the world until the end of the world.”

Allen McDuffee is a politics and policy reporter, investigative journalist, blogger and podcast host. He has written for The Atlantic, Wired and The Washington Post. Follow him on Twitter: @AllenMcDuffee

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr Commons