Inquirer Editorial: Chaos surrounding Trump's transition signals trouble ahead for his administration

The chaos surrounding President-elect Donald Trump's transition resembles the climactic boardroom scene at the end of each episode of his reality TV show, The Apprentice: divided teams, sniping, infighting, and backstabbing before someone gets fired.

That may make for good TV, but it is no way to instill confidence in a White House administration that more than half the country did not support and that much of the free world is viewing with great trepidation.

Nor should it surprise anyone, given that Trump has never held elective office; many of his businesses went bust; and nearly two thirds of the country said he was not qualified to be president.

To be sure, few transitions are flawless. There is always jockeying for key cabinet posts that must be filled in a brief period of time. Another 4,000 jobs are up for grabs, including about 1,000 that require Senate confirmation. But even by those standards, the Trump transition is in disarray.

Initially, Gov. Christie was overseeing the transition. But he was abruptly replaced last week with Vice President-elect Mike Pence. Then, two officials handling national security for the transition - former Rep. Mike Rogers (R., Michigan) and lobbyist Matthew Freedman - were fired.

Unnamed sources described the firings as a "Stalinesque purge" of people close to Christie orchestrated by Trump's son-in-law and close adviser, Jared Kushner. In 2005, Christie, then a U.S. attorney, prosecuted Kushner's father, who pleaded guilty to 18 felonies, including tax evasion and making illegal campaign contributions. He was sentenced to two years in prison.

Nothing like forsaking the best interest of the country to avenge old family business. Christie should have seen it coming.

Meanwhile, one member of Trump's transition committee said she was having trouble finding takers for jobs and that the transition efforts were more than a month behind schedule.

A former State Department official who criticized Trump during the campaign but said after the election that he would keep an open mind about supporting the new president, quickly changed course and urged anyone interested in working in the administration to "stay away." Eliot Cohen said the Trump team was "angry, arrogant, screaming, 'You lost!' "

Adding to the tumult has been the inability of many prominent American allies to contact Trump. Some reportedly placed blind calls to the general number at Trump Tower, where the president-elect lives and has his office. Even more alarming, some reportedly were patched through with little warning.

Trump used Twitter to say the transition is "going so smoothly." But as it has often been with Trump over the years, the facts say otherwise.

Some may say the disorder is inside baseball and it is early to say what it means. But a presidential transition is not just about finding the best qualified people to run the government. The transition of power is when the country is at its most vulnerable.

Trump can't go it alone. An anxious country and world are watching. This is no reality TV show. Trump needs to show he can meet the challenge.