Contrasting Political Norms and Surprising Appointments

Warning: this episode contains strong language.

In his first week as president-elect, Donald J. Trump moved at breakneck speed to fill out his cabinet with a set of loyalists who were both conventional and deeply unconventional, the U.S. Senate chose a leader who could complicate Trump’s agenda, and President Joe Biden welcomed Trump back to the White House.

Times Journalists Michael Barbaro, Julie Hirschfeld Davis, Peter Baker and Maggie Haberman, sat down to make sense of it all.

Guest: 

• Julie Hirschfeld Davis, who covers politics for The New York Times.
• Peter Baker, the chief White House correspondent for The New York Times.
• Maggie Haberman, a senior political correspondent for The New York Times.

Background reading: 

• Matt Gaetz is Mr. Trump’s pick for attorney general.
• John Thune is set to become the next Senate majority leader.
• Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump’s brief public display of civility was followed by a two-hour meeting behind closed doors.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

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