♪♪ >> Eric: TURNING OUR ATTENTION NOW TO WASHINGTON, D.C. AND THE INCOMING ADMINISTRATION'S TRANSITION PLANS.

PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP HAS WASTED NO TIME NAMING HIS CHOICES FOR CABINET POSITIONS, BUT HAS RUN INTO SOME CONTROVERSY.

EARLIER THIS WEEK HIS FIRST CHOICE FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL, FORMER REPRESENTATIVE MATT GAETZ WITHDREW AFTER FACING OPPOSITION FROM SENATORS IN BOTH PARTIES.

DAVID SCHULTZ IS BACK.

SHAPES YOUNG MINDS AT HAMLINE UNIVERSITY, ALSO AN ADJUNCT LAW PROFESSOR AT UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS.

THERE ARE FOUR REPUBLICAN SENATORS, COLINS, AMERICAOWSKI, AND CURTIS FROM UTAH THAT SEEMS LIKE THEY'RE READY TO STAND AGAINST TRUMP WHEN THEY FEEL IT'S NEEDED.

IS THAT GOING TO BE ENOUGH TO CLOG THINGS UP?

IS >> I DON'T THINK AT THIS POINT.

THE REPUBLICANS STILL HAVE ENOUGH VOTES TO BE ABLE TO CLEAR THE SENATE, POTENTIALLY THOSE FOUR, BUT I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY I THINK THEY'RE GOING TO STAND BEHIND TRUMP.

>> Cathy: WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE SPEED OF THE TRANSITION?

DOES IT SEEM QUICK TO YOU OR PRETTY NORMAL SPEED?

>> THIS IS ACTUALLY FAIRLY QUICK.

THINK ABOUT 8 YEARS AGO WHEN TRUMP FIRST WON.

IT TOOK HIM A LONG TIME TO SORT OF REALLY PUT TOGETHER HIS TRANSITION TEAM AND REALLY TO GET HIS PRESIDENCY UP AND RUNNING.

AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS HE'S LEARNED MAYBE AFTER HAVING HAD ALREADY A FIRST TERM UNDER HIS BELT IS HOW TO MOVE MUCH MORE QUICKLY.

HE SEEMS MUCH MORE ELIBERATE AND MUCH BETTER PLANNED THIS TIME IN TERMS OF WHAT HE WANTS TO ACCOMPLISH.

THE FACT THAT HE KEEPS SAYING HE WANTS TO ROLL OUT A BUNCH OF EXECUTIVE ORDERS ON THE FIRST DAY, THIS IS I WOULD JUST SAY A MUCH BETTER WAY FOR SOMEBODY TO TAKE OVER IN TERMS OF A PRESIDENCY.

>> Eric: IS THERE A THEME RUNNING THROUGH HIS PICKS SO FAR?

>> IT DEPENDS ON HOW YOU VIEW THIS.

YOU KNOW, FOR SOME PEOPLE THEY MIGHT SAY THAT HE'S PICKING NONTRADITIONALLISTS BECAUSE WHAT HE WANTS TO DO IS TO BASICALLY SHAKE UP THE BUREAUCRACY.

IF YOU'RE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE EQUATION YOU'RE GOING TO SAY THAT, WHAT, HE'S PICKING PEOPLE WHO ARE BASICALLY NOT QUALIFIED FOR THE POSITION.

I'M NOT GOING TO RENDER JUDGMENT ON EITHER OF THOSE HERE.

BUT I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S THE CHALLENGE FOR TRUMP THAN IT WAS 8 YEARS AGO AGO WHEN HE FIRST TOOK OFFICE, THERE'S TWO IMPULSES.

IMPULSE ONE IS TO BE ABLE TO MOVE HIS AGENDA.

IMPULSE NUMBER TWO IS TO SHAKE UP THE BUREAUCRACY.

IT'S KIND OF HARD TO DO BOTH OF THEM AT THE SAME TIME AND THAT REALLY COMPROMISED HIS ABILITY TO ACCOMPLISH A LOT OF THINGS IN HIS FIRST TERM.

RIGHT NOW IT'S STILL LOOKING LIKE HE WANTS TO SHAKE UP MORE THAN HE DOES WANT TO MOVE HIS AGENDA.

>> Cathy: SAY, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE AGENDA.

HE DOESN'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF TIME BEFORE THE MIDTERMS TO GET SOME STUFF DONE.

>> YOU'RE CORRECT, AND HE'S ALSO, WHAT, A LAME DUCK RIGHT OFF THE BAT.

HE'S ALREADY IN HIS SECOND TERM AT THIS POINT.

I THINK HIM AND THE REPUBLICANS HAVE I'M GOING TO ARGUE ABOUT A YEAR, A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN A YEAR TO DO SOMETHING.

THE REASON WHY I SAY THAT IS THAT THEY HAVE A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY RIGHT NOW WHERE THEY'VE GOTTEN THE ATTENTION OF WORKING CLASS AND MIDDLE CLASS IN AMERICA, AND IF THEY CAN NOW DELIVER LET'S SAY THREE OR FOUR THINGS THAT WILL SHOW UP, SHOW UP BY ELECTION TIME IN 20 -- GOT TO GET THIS RIGHT -- 2026, THEY HAVE A CHANCE OF BASICALLY REALIGNING THE ELECTORATE FOR A GENERATION IF NOT MORE.

>> ARE ELON MUSK AND TRUMP GOING TO GET ALONG LONG-TERM?

>> EGO THERE, I DON'T KNOW.

AWFUL LOT OF EGO THERE.

IT ALL DEPENDS ON IF THEIR AGENDAS ARE MATCHING AT THIS POINT.

IT'S ALWAYS KIND OF HARD TO FIGURE OUT WHAT MUSK'S AGENDA IS.

HE CLEARLY WANTED TRUMP ELECTED.

HE CLEARLY HAS HIS VIEWS ON THINGS, BUT SO DOES TRUMP.

AGAIN, HERE'S AN EXAMPLE WHERE I THINK MUSK WANTS TO DO SOMETHING, I THINK, I'M NOT QUITE SURE IT IS, AND IT'S NOT CLEAR IF TRUMP WANTS TO ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING BEYOND MAKING PERMANENT THE TAX CUTS, SO COME BACK TO THIS -- IN THE FIRST TERM.