Eli Lake, Columnist

Trump Shakes Things Up. His Future Cabinet Calms Things Down.

So far even the most controversial contenders to lead the new administration are saying very Washington things.

January 12, 2017 at 10:00 AM UTC

Eli Lake is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering national security and foreign policy. He was the senior national security correspondent for the Daily Beast and covered national security and intelligence for the Washington Times, the New York Sun and UPI.

Jeff Sessions and the other nominees are thinking inside the box.
Photographer: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

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As Congress begins the confirmation hearings for President-elect Donald Trump's nominees, a paradox emerges. Trump refuses to bow to official Washington, but his future cabinet echoes official Washington's policy mantras.

Trump tweets that the intelligence community -- accused of leaking that senior U.S. officials were briefed on allegations about his sexual conduct in Russia -- is akin to the Gestapo. He tells a CNN reporter that his network is "fake news," for reporting that. He claims that no one except the press cares about his tax returns. He proposes a commission on childhood vaccinations after meeting with someone who believes the unproven theory that they cause autism. The next president rocks the boat.