President-elect Donald Trump 's team still hasn't signed agreements that are required to formally begin the transition process to the White House - meaning the government can't provide security clearances and briefings to incoming administration officials and the FBI can't screen his rush of picks for the Cabinet and other key posts .
The importance of strenuous federal background screenings - and the fact that Trump's team has not been subjecting the president-elect's selections to such vetting - was evident Thursday, when former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew as Trump's pick for attorney general following continued scrutiny over a federal sex trafficking investigation that cast doubt on whether he could be confirmed by the Senate.
The continued delay on agreeing to start the formal transition process may eventually force senators to vote on Trump's choices without the benefit of the usual background checks.
That process is designed to uncover personal problems, criminal histories and other potential red flags that would raise questions about a nominee's suitability for key jobs.
Beyond the top personnel picks that Trump already has announced, good governance activists and other experts on the transition process have warned for weeks that refusing to sign the transition documents will make it impossible for potentially hundreds of Trump national security appointees to get clearances. And that means the new administration won't be fully prepared to govern when Trump takes power on Inauguration Day on Jan. 20, 2025.
