Trump begins to play catch up on transition to White House

With 72 days before he takes control of the executive branch, Trump and his senior team on Wednesday immediately began the herculean task of picking a Cabinet and tapping hundreds of appointees to senior roles in key departments — State, Defense, Homeland Security, Commerce and Treasury among them — many requiring multiple security reviews or Senate confirmation.

The group included the transition chairman, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, Vice President-elect Mike Pence and daughter Ivanka Trump's husband, Jared Kushner, among others.

The team is putting a premium on quickly filling key national security posts, according to people familiar with the conversations but not authorized to discuss them publicly.

First phase of the beginning.

While Christie provided Trump with weekly updates, until now, the campaign and transition operations functioned as relatively distinct entities and in different cities — Trump's campaign in New York and the transition team in Washington.

An organizational chart for the transition team obtained by The Associated Press confirms that some familiar names are playing senior roles in shaping a Trump administration.

Steven Mnuchin, a Goldman Sachs veteran and CEO of a private investment firm, served as Trump's finance chairman and instantly becomes a contender for Treasury secretary.