I picked up a book about the transition, the 2016 transition, and it is amazing how much the things remain the same.

We're going through the same process that we did last time, and it's kind of astonishing.

Weren't there big protests last time, though?

Yeah, I mean, like at the airports.

But that was in January and February, so we still have I mean, like at the airport. I guess I'm talking about staffing.

But that was in January and February, so we still have time for that to happen. No, we're going

through this process now. You remember last time when it was like, oh, you know, you heard a lot of

Republicans saying, okay, Trump is Trump, but, you know, he's going. And I heard people as recently as a couple months ago saying, yeah, yeah, I know, I know.

But, you know, he's going to, as one CEO said, he'll surround himself with better people than you expect.

Hope dies last, man.

Hope dies last.

Welcome to the political scene, a weekly discussion about the big questions in American politics.

I'm Evan Osnose, and I'm joined by my colleagues Susan Glasser and Jane Mayer.

Hi, Susan.

Hey there.

And hi, Jane.

Hi, Evan.

Well, the Trump transition is upon us.

Donald Trump is preparing to return to the White House, and he has adopted what we might describe as a shock and awe strategy in the sense that he's overwhelming the news cycle

with nominations and pledges that are provocative in some cases,

perhaps doomed in others, but always seemingly intended to stun Washington into clearing a path for him.

So is that working? What kind of White House is coming into view so far?

...