Trump’s team convenes with Pentagon personnel in 100-plus transition meetings, so far

Defense leaders overseeing technology development, procurement and other critical areas under the outgoing Biden administration are actively engaging with senior members on President-elect Donald Trump’s team preparing to take over at the Pentagon after the inauguration later this month, three officials involved said this week.

Pentagon spokesperson Sue Gough confirmed on Wednesday that more than 100 meetings were conducted so far to set the Defense Department on its path ahead for the next presidential term — and more are planned between now and the switchover on Jan. 20. 

“The department is committed to conducting a smooth and professional transition with the incoming administration,” Gough told DefenseScoop. 

Led by transition director Jennifer Walsh, representatives from the current office of the General Counsel, Washington Headquarters, Services Security Office and the DOD Transition Task Force first met with Trump’s DOD Agency Review Team — or ART — in the Pentagon on Dec. 16 to sign non-disclosure agreements and officially kick-off transition efforts. 

“As of 7:30 a.m. today,” Gough said on Wednesday morning, officials on Trump’s ART have held 106 meetings with current DOD personnel. The department’s Transition Task Force had also responded to 81 requests for information by that time, according to the spokesperson. 

Gough did not reveal any of those RFI topics addressed to date.

She also confirmed that the ART has met with the undersecretaries for acquisition and sustainment and research and engineering, as well as the heads of both the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO).

At this point, however, members of the Pentagon’s All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), which investigates reports of “unidentified anomalous phenomena” (UAP), have not connected directly with ART representatives. 

Gough referred questions regarding any future plans for AARO-involved meetings to the president-elect’s transition team. Trump spokespersons did not respond to DefenseScoop’s requests for further information ahead of publication.

Briefing reporters Wednesday afternoon, Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh reiterated the same transition stats shared earlier by Gough. When asked whether Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has spoken with Pete Hegseth — Trump’s nominee to serve as SecDef — Singh said: “I don’t have anything to announce. If I have something to announce about a meeting or a call, I’ll certainly keep you updated.”

On Tuesday morning, Gough previously told DefenseScoop that 97 meetings had been held between the administrations’ transition teams by then — and that 77 requests for information had been answered.

“Interactions with the ART are occurring daily,” she said Wednesday.

In response to further questions, Gough said the Pentagon does “not comment on the details of those meetings.”

An official who participated in transition meetings with past administrations told DefenseScoop on the condition of anonymity late last year that such engagements typically cover a wide range of topics including how to use department phone lines, access federal information technology systems, conduct contemporary operations and securely communicate with U.S. military allies.