The incoming Trump administration will keep 50 Obama administration appointees in key government jobs for now, transition spokesman Sean Spicer announced on Thursday. The holdovers include Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work, DEA Administrator Chuck Rosenberg, and the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Nicholas Rasmussen.
All will be staying until a replacement can be named, according to Spicer. Citing the importance of continuity of government, Spicer said if "there is an attack or some kind of weather incident" that occurs where departments have to be called into action and support the American people "make no mistake, we're ready to go on Day 1."
The Senate is expected to confirm two of Trump's Cabinet nominees after his inauguration on Friday: defense secretary-designate, retired Gen. James Mattis; and retired Gen. John Kelly, Trump's pick to head the Department of Homeland Security.
Other Obama appointees staying on for now include Brett McGurk, the Obama administration's point-man for fighting the Islamic State; Adam Szubin, the acting under secretary of the treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence; and Susan Coppedge, the State Department's ambassador-at-large to combat human trafficking.
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