There’s a good reason we haven’t heard much about the Trump transition team’s inner workings –every member of the team responsible for preparing the ochre-colored Richie Rich cosplayer that is also our President-elect have all signed a very intense NDA.
Politico obtained a copy of the NDA, which bars those working on the transition from “disclosing info about major portions of the transition work, like policy briefings, personnel material, donor info, fundraising goals, budgets, contracts, or any draft research papers.” It also states that if anyone suspects that someone has leaked material, they must report that leak to the leadership. If they’re caught, they face a court order forcing them to stop.
Unlike the NDA signed by those working on the Trump campaign, the transition team’s NDA does not include a non-disparagement agreement. People working on Trump’s campaign couldn’t say anything publicly to demean their candidate.
For anyone familiar with Trump’s business dealings and his incessant need to control the narrative, this should come as no surprise. But, as Politico points out, requiring an intense and restrictive NDA for his transition team could hurt the entire notion of transparency as it relates to government.
Of course, Trump’s NDAs are all about ego. God forbid anyone defy his edict and drag his name in the mud, no matter how much it deserves it. In what was a chilling sign of the road ahead, Trump has reportedly said that he would have elected government officials sign the same kinds of agreements under his administration, so that they won’t write tell-all books about the nefarious inner workings of his campaign or his administration.
This is not what a democracy looks like. This is something far worse.