BOUT RUSSIAN HACKING
AND MUCH MORE.
IT SEEMS TO BE A MUCH BUSIER
THAN USUAL TRANSITION FOR
PRESIDENTS, BUT IS IT?
PETER ROUSSEL WOULD KNOW.
THE PROFESSOR IN THE DEPARTMENT
OF MASS COMMUNICATION AT SAM
HOUSTON STATE UNIVERSITY SERVED
UNDER PRESIDENT REAGAN AS DEPUTY
PRESS SECRETARY AND STAFF
ASSISTANT TO PRESIDENT FORD AND
PRESS SECRETARY TO THEN
CONGRESSMAN GEORGE H.W. BUSH.
GOOD MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING, KHAMBREL.
>> GOOD TO SEE YOU.
>> LIKEWISE.
GREAT TO SEE YOU.
>> I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN WATCHING
THIS WITH INTEREST BETWEEN YOUR
OWN PERSONAL INTEREST AND FOR
WHAT YOU HAVE TO TALK TO YOUR
STUDENTS ABOUT.
THIS TRANSITION SEEMS TO BE A
LITTLE BIT MORE BUSY THAN
OTHERS.
BUT IS IT ACTUALLY?
>> LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT
TRANSITIONS AND INAUGURATIONS.
TO ME, IT'S LIKE STEPPING INTO A
FLYING AIRPLANE.
THE AMOUNT OF WORK YOU HAVE TO
DO IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF
TIME.
CONSIDER THIS FACT, A PRESIDENT
WINS AN ELECTION ON A TUESDAY
NIGHT, THE NEXT MORNING YOU
THINK OH, GEE, I CAN RELAX A
LITTLE BIT.
OH, NO.
YOU GOT -- RIGHT AWAY GET READY
FOR AN INAUGURAL AND TRANSITION
AND THAT'S A LOT OF WORK
COMPRESSED INTO ABOUT A
TWO-MONTH PERIOD.
>> SO THIS PARTICULAR TRANSITION
TEAM IN TERMS OF WHAT'S GOING
ON, HAVE THEY BEEN DOING IT
ABOUT RIGHT, IN YOUR ESTIMATION?
>> I'M A GUY SITTING IN HOUSTON,
TEXAS WATCHING FROM AFAR.
HAVING BEEN THERE, I THINK
THEY'RE FOUR KEY ELEMENTS IN THE
TRANSITION.
THE FIRST ONE IS THE JOB ASPECT,
FILLING ALL THE KEY APPOINTED
POSITIONS, WHICH WE'RE SEEING
THE SENATE GO THROUGH THE
CONFIRMATION HEARINGS NOW.
SECOND, THERE IS THE INAUGURAL
ITSELF, WHICH IS A TREMENDOUS
AMOUNT OF PLANNING, WITH PEOPLE
COMING IN FROM ALL OVER THE
WORLD.
THIRD, THERE IS A KEY PART OF
THAT INAUGURAL WHICH IS THE
INAUGURAL ACCEPTANCE SPEECH.
AND THINK OF THE IMPACT THAT
THOSE SPEECHES HAVE HAD DOWN
THROUGH THE YEARS.
TO THIS DAY WE TALK ABOUT JOHN
F. KENNEDY'S INAUGURAL SPEECH.
AND LASTLY, JUST WHEN YOU THINK
THAT'S ALL DONE AND YOU'RE READY
TO MOVE ON, YOU GOT THE STATE OF
THE UNION COMING UP.
SO IT'S A VERY COMPRESSED AMOUNT
OF WORK IN A VERY COMPRESSED
AMOUNT OF TIME.
>> SO WHEN YOU TOO THAT, THIS
INCOMING ADMINISTRATION WHAT,
ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES FOR
THE INCOMING ADMINISTRATION IN
ORDER FOR THEM TO PUT IT ON AND
MAKE IT A SUCCESSFUL
INAUGURATION BASICALLY SEVERAL
DAYS AND TRANSITION?
>> WELL, LOOK WHAT THIS INCOMING
ADMINISTRATION HAS FACING IT.
IRAN, IRAQ, SYRIA, AFGHANISTA
RUSSIA, CHINA, CUBA, THE
ECONOMY, THE BUDGET, THE
DEFICIT, IMMIGRATION, JOBS,
UNEMPLOYMENT.
THAT'S A PRETTY SOLID LAUNDRY
LIST.
NOW, INCOMING PRESIDENT DONALD
TRUMP ISN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO
ADDRESS THOSE THROUGH THEATER OR
THROUGH CHARISMA.
IT'S TIME FOR REALITY.
AND I THINK HE'S AT THAT CROSS
ROADS ABOUT TO COME TO IT, WHERE
POPULAR CELEBRITY MEETS
PROGRAMMATIC REALITY.
AND NOW THE ECONOMY STAYS GOOD,
IF UNEMPLOYMENT STAYS DOWN, IF
THE COST OF LIVING LEVELS OFF,
HE'LL BE ABLE TO STAY AHEAD OF
HIS CRITICS.
BUT HE'S GOT A LOT FACING HIM.
>> WHEN YOU GO FROM OUTSIDE TO
INSIDE, TALK ABOUT THE CHANGE IN
TOTAL ATTITUDE.
YOU JUST MENTIONED ALL THOSE
THINGS THAT WE DON'T THINK ABOUT
BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING AT THE
THEATER PART OF IT AT THIS
POINT.
BUT BEHIND THE SCENES, THERE IS
SO MUCH GOING ON.
THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF REALLY HAS
TO MAKE A SOMBER TRANSITION,
DOES HE NOT?
>> WELL, IT'S LIFE CHANGING FOR
ANYBODY.
CONSIDER IF YOU'RE A PRESIDENT,
YOUR LIFE IS NEVER GOING TO BE
THE SAME AGAIN, EVEN AFTER YOU
LEAVE OFFICE.
YOU KNOW THE BEST SUMMATION OF
ALL THIS FOR ME WAS PRESIDENT
REAGAN TOWARD THE END OF HIS
ADMINISTRATION, ONE DAY WE WERE
TALKING WITH HIM AND HE SAID,
YOU KNOW WHAT I'D REALLY LIKE TO
DO RIGHT NOW?
WE SAID WHAT?
HE SAID, I'D LIKE TO GO OUTSIDE
AND WALK DOWN THE STREET TO THE
DRUGSTORE, GO IN THERE AND READ
THE MAGAZINES ON THE MAGAZINE
RACK.
HE SAID, BUT I'LL NEVER BE ABLE
TO DO THAT AGAIN IN MY LIFE.
WHEREAS Y'ALL, YOU PEOPLE IN
HERE RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN DO THAT
FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.
WHAT HE WAS SAYING WAS YOU WOULD
NEVER BE ALONE AGAIN IN HIS
LIFE.
THAT'S HOW YOUR LIFE CHANGES AND
THAT'S HOW DONALD TRUMP'S LIFE
WILL CHANGE ON JANUARY 20.
>> DONALD TRUMP'S BEEN THE
SPOTLIGHT FOR A LONG TIME.
I DON'T KNOW THAT HE WOULD EVEN
WANT TO BE ALONE.
HIS AURA SEEMS TO INDICATE THAT
HE LIKES THE ATTENTION AND
THAT'S THE WAY HE WANTS TO BE.
SO THAT PART I GUESS MAYBE HE'LL
BE ABLE TO ADJUST.
LET'S TALK ABOUT TRANSITIONS AS
THEY'VE HAPPENED THROUGH THE
AGES.
WHICH ONE, IS THERE ANY ONE IN
PARTICULAR THAT KIND OF STANDS
OUT FOR YOU IN YOUR MEMORY THAT
KIND OF STICKS OUT AND FOR WHAT
REASON?
>> FOR ME, THAT'S AN EASY ONE.
THAT WOULD BE PRESIDENT REAGAN'S
SECOND INAUGURAL IN 1984 AND
WHY?
BECAUSE THE TEMPERATURE IN
WASHINGTON WAS 7 DEGREES.
NOW, YOU START PLANNING AN
INAUGURAL WHEN IT'S 7 DEGREES
KNOWING THERE IS GOING TO BE
OUTDOOR EVENTS, INCLUDING THE
SWEARING IN, AND YOU'VE GOT A
BIG PROBLEM CONFRONTING YOU.
IN FACT, IT GOT SO BAD THAT
YEAR, GOT SO COLD, THAT MIDWAY
INTO THE PLANNING, THE ORDER WAS
GIVEN TO MOVE EVERYTHING INSIDE.
>> MIDWAY THROUGH?
>> YES.
THE PLANNING HAD ALREADY BEGUN
AND IT WAS MOVED, ALL THE EVENTS
WERE MOVED INSIDE, INCLUDING HIS
INAUGURAL SPEECH.
AND THE SWEARING IN, WHICH WAS
IN THE ROTUNDA OF THE CAPITOL.
I CAN TELL YOU, IT WAS SO COLD,
IT WAS HARD TO GET AROUND AND
YOU WENT TO GET G YOU COULDN'T
GET GAS IN YOUR CAR BECAUSE THE
PUMPS WERE FROZEN.
SO YES.
AND I THINK I'M CORRECT IN
SAYING THAT'S THE COLDEST
JANUARY INAUGURAL IN HISTORY.
>> WE TALK ABOUT THE
INAUGURATION.
WE TALK ABOUT THE TRANSITION,
ALL THOSE THINGS.
WHAT DO YOU TELL YOUR STUDENTS
ABOUT WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON NOW?
THIS IS CERTAINLY UNUSUAL IN
THAT WE HAVE SOMEONE TOTALLY OUT
OF POLITICS WHO NOW IS THE
INCOMING PRESIDENT OF THE UNITE
STATES.
WHAT KINDS OF THINGS ARE YOU
TELLING YOUR STUDENTS ABOUT WHAT
THEY MAY OR MAY NOT BE ABLE TO
EXPECT IN THIS ADMINISTRATION?
>> WELL, WHAT I TELL THEM FIRST
OF ALL, I TRY ENCOURAGE THEIR
INTEREST IN PARTICIPATION IN THE
POLITICAL PROCESS.
WHATEVER YOUR VIEWS MAY BE.
BECAUSE I THINK IT'S ESSENTIAL
THAT OUR YOUNG PEOPLE BE
INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS.
IT'S THEIR FUTURE THAT'S AHEAD
OF THEM.
SO I PUT A LOT OF EMPHASIS ON
THAT.
I ALSO ENCOURAGE THOSE THAT ARE
INTERESTED MAYBE IN A GOVERNMENT
OR A POLITICAL CAREER,
ABSOLUTELY, GET INVOLVED.
BUT DO DID NOW.
DO IT WHILE YOU'RE YOUNG AND YOU
GOT A LOT OF ENERGY.
SO MY SUGGESTION TO ANYBODY ON
THAT IS IF YOU WANT TO WORK IN
WASHINGTON, IF YOU WANT TO
FOLLOW A CAREER THERE THAT WAS
SOMEWHAT LIKE MINE, MY ADVICE IS
GET A GOOD PAIR OF ADIDAS TENNIS
SHOES OR NIKE, I DON'T WANT TO
GIVE ANY A PLUG, BUT JUST GET
SOME TENNIS SHOES AND DON'T
WALK, RUN TO WASHINGTON AND DO
IT NOW BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA NEED
EVERY BIT OF THAT ENERGY.
>> I THANK YOU FOR COMING IN
THIS MORNING.
AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE
TO THIS COUNTRY AS WELL.
WE TALK ABOUT THE MEN YOU SERVE
WITH, BUT YOU GAVE SERVICE TO
THIS COUNTRY AS WELL.
AND THANK YOU FOR THAT.
>> AN HONOR AND A PLEASURE.
>> THANK YOU.
BY THE WAY, REMINDER, KPRC IS
GOING TO HAVE FULL COVERAGE OF
THE INAUGURAL EVENTS.
DOMINIQUE SACHSE, KEITH GARVIN
WILL BE IN WASHINGTON, D.C
YOU CAN LOOK FOR THEIR LIVE
REPORTS STARTING WEDNESDAY NIGHT
AND CONTINUING THROUGH THE
INAUGURATION.
MAKE PLANS TO BE THERE AS WE