With Inauguration Day approaching quickly, President-elect Donald Trump's team hopes he will have his cabinet in place in the way both Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush did, incoming presidential counsel Kellyanne Conway said Wednesday.
"They had upwards of seven to nine confirmed on Inauguration Day," Conway told ABC News' "Good Morning America" anchor George Stephanopoulos.
"We certainly hope and expect that we'll be able to have a peaceful transition of government, which includes having a cabinet in place."
Bush came into office Dec. 12, five weeks after Election Day through a Supreme Court decision, but still, nine of his cabinet nominees were confirmed that week, Conway said.
There is already much divisiveness coming into Friday's inauguration ceremonies, and Conway said Americans will see in Trump "a president who is making good on his promise from election night to be the president of all Americans, and that includes the millions who did not vote for him."
Trump plans to deliver a "beautiful, elegant, very strong, powerful message" in his inaugural address Friday, and he does recognize it is important for Americans to come together, Conway said, and that includes the numerous Democratic lawmakers who say they will boycott the event.
"We hope that the Democrats who say they're not coming to the inauguration would reconsider," Conway said. "They are certainly invited. That's how you show America we're coming together to solve significant problems."
Conway also addressed Trump's plans for repealing and replacing Obamacare, and insisted people who are currently insured will not go without coverage during the transition.
"It's just a more patient-centric free market system of buying and having healthcare," Conway said. "You'll have a health savings account with your name on it where you own it and you will be able to control spending.
"We will block grant Medicaid to the states probably, so those who are closest to the people in need, who know how to administer it, will do it."
The big part of the plan is allowing health insurance to be bought across state lines, she continued.
"Why in the most intimate purchase that you can make as an American for your healthcare would you not be able to do that?" Conway said. "He wants to make sure it's truly affordable and accessible. There are Americans who have been helped through the Affordable Care Act.
"They will not be harmed, but many Americans feel they had great benefits and their premiums have skyrocketed. Their choice, their quality, and their access has been diminished. We want to help those people."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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