Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Even Before Inauguration, Trump Asserts Himself on Policy Matters

by William Gallo

   Donald Trump won't become president for another four weeks, though at
   times you'd hardly know it.

   Since winning the election, President-elect Trump has repeatedly
   asserted himself on foreign and domestic issues, whether via his
   Twitter account, cable news interviews, or official transition team
   statements.

   Trump's behavior strains a longstanding "one president at a time"
   tradition observed by presidents-elect. Many critics say that in doing
   so, Trump risks muddying U.S. policy and could set a precedent that
   complicates future presidential transitions.

   FILE - President Barack Obama meets with President-elect Donald Trump
   in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Nov. 10, 2016.

   "He's obviously trying to make himself a player, and I think that
   crosses a line that other presidents-elect have been reluctant to
   cross," said Bruce Buchanan, who specializes in presidential politics
   at the University of Texas.

   In the past month and a half, Trump has offered a running commentary on
   the issues of the day, much like he did during his presidential
   campaign. But Trump has sometimes gone a step further, even challenging
   certain policies of President Barack Obama.

   This week, Trump released a statement urging the U.S. to veto a U.N.
   Security Council resolution that condemns Israeli settlements in
   Palestinian territories. Israeli officials have said Israeli Prime
   Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reached out to Trump after learning the
   Obama administration planned to abstain from a vote.

   Earlier, Trump broke decades of U.S. diplomatic protocol by speaking
   with Taiwan's leader, Tsai Ing-wen. He later called into question U.S.
   support for the "one China" policy. After China seized a U.S.
   underwater drone in the South China Sea, Trump called the act
   "unprecedented," before changing course and tweeting that the U.S.
   should refuse to take it back.

   FILE - The ffront page of a Chinese newspaper with a photo of U.S.
   President-elect Donald Trump and the headline "Outsider counter attack"
   is displayed at a newsstand in Beijing, China.

   Trump has tweeted that he would like to "greatly strengthen and expand"
   the U.S. nuclear capability.

   This week, he held separate meetings with top U.S. military officials
   and the CEOs of Boeing and Lockheed Martin to negotiate defense
   spending costs. He has also negotiated with U.S. companies to keep jobs
   in the country in exchange for tax breaks and other benefits.

   'Respectful'

   That behavior stands in contrast to that of Trump's predecessors, many
   of whom have refused to even comment on matters of policy out of
   respect for the incumbent.

   While no law forbids Trump from commenting or offering policy
   suggestions, some critics have said he could be in violation of the
   Logan Act, a federal law that prohibits private citizens from
   conducting foreign policy and that also applies in theory to incoming
   presidents.

   Earlier this month, Congressman Jared Huffman, a Democrat, introduced
   legislation that would "clarify" that the Logan Act covers the
   activities of the president-elect during transition periods.

   In a statement, Huffman said the so-called "One President at a Time
   Act" would require that the president-elect "cannot conduct foreign
   policy matters without the authorization of the United States
   government."

   "Not only is it an unacceptable intrusion for a President-elect to
   start engaging in foreign policy matters before they are in office --
   let alone before they are fully briefed on complex and fragile
   geopolitical situations -- it is dangerous and harms America's standing
   in the world," the statement said.

   Obama has not criticized Trump's handling of the transition, other than
   to note on two separate occasions that there is only "one president at
   a time."

   Speaking to MSNBC on Friday, Trump's incoming press secretary Sean
   Spicer denied Trump was overstepping his bounds, noting the cordial
   relationship that has developed between Trump and Obama.

   "I would argue that he has been very respectful of the idea that we
   have one president at a time," Spicer said. "He has been in constant
   contact with President Obama, making it clear what his views are on
   certain things. And he has been very respectful of the president."