The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton Key takeaways about the latest presidential transition process
Nov 24, 2025
Phil McNamara, former Assistant Secretary for Administration at the Department of Transportation, joins the discussion on reforming presidential transitions. He highlights the importance of standardized processes to reduce risks associated with ad hoc practices. The conversation delves into the unusual features of the 2024 transition, including candidate switches and slower preparations. McNamara emphasizes the need for updates to the Presidential Transition Act and better transparency in vetting to ensure smoother transitions in the future.
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Norms Built The Modern Transition
- Transitions historically relied on informal norms to ensure knowledge transfer between outgoing and incoming administrations.
- The Partnership for Public Service pushed for more standardized, consistent transition practices across cycles.
Candidate Switch Delayed Planning
- The 2024 cycle differed because a major party switched presidential candidates mid-cycle, delaying some transition planning.
- Early preparation remains best practice given the scale and national-security importance of agencies incoming teams inherit.
Campaigns Skipping GSA Services
- Recent transition teams increasingly avoid using GSA-provided services like IT and office space.
- That shift reduces embedded transparency tied to accepting GSA support and changes how transitions are conducted.