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1st LD Writethru: Vice President-elect Mike Pence to head Trump's transition team

Xinhua, November 12, 2016 Adjust font size:

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has tapped his running mate Mike Pence to head his transition team, removing New Jersey Governor Chris Christie from the post, local media reported Friday.

The replacement was aimed to tap into Pence's resources and contacts in Washington to speed up the process, the New York Times cited sources in the transition team as saying.

Pence, who has served six terms in the House of Representatives, was seen to have a better understanding of the Washington political landscape than Christie, whose political life was mainly limited to the state of New Jersey.

Christie, who has led the team since May, will serve along side former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and retired general Michael Flynn as vice chairs of the team, according to the report.

The news came as Trump tweeted earlier Friday "Busy day planned in New York. Will soon be making some very important decisions on the people who will be running our government!"

Speculation on Trump's picks for his new government has circulated since his election Wednesday, with the media connecting inner members of his campaign team with important government jobs.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus and Trump's campaign chief Steve Bannon are also popular guesses to fill in top slots.

Trump has met with President Barack Obama in the White House on Thursday to discuss the transition, and both men vowed to facilitate a smooth handover. Enditem