Washington Post: “As President Trump remains defiant, refusing to publicly acknowledge that he lost the Nov. 3 election, all signs around the White House point to a four-year whirlwind coming to an end. Aides are quietly lining up next jobs, friends are wrangling last-minute favors and Cabinet secretaries are giving exit interviews. These behind-the-scenes preparations underscore the reality that while Trump may continue to tilt at the windmills, his tenure as president is ending.”
“There is no serious planning for a second term, and four officials say the West Wing is far more dormant than it once was, with aides spending their days on job interviews or working from home. The outer Oval Office, once a constant hubbub of traffic angling to see the president, no longer thrums with the same energy. Aides are frantically looking for jobs outside the West Wing, according to headhunters and consultants, but they’re fearful of getting fired if they are caught before Jan. 20. Some are just leaving. Staff secretary Derek Lyons and communications director Alyssa Farah are among the high-profile departures. A number of the campaign’s top officials – including campaign manager Bill Stepien – have all but disappeared from the orbit, aides say. Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump have purchased a $30 million property on a secluded island near Miami, according to the New York Post. Ivanka Trump has begun posting daily pictures looking back on the president’s term, or shots of her children at Washington destinations, such as the Lincoln Memorial.”