Michael D'Antonio, the author of " The Truth About Trump ," is writing Trump Watch , a series of columns on President-elect Donald Trump for CNN Opinion. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his.

(CNN) Two weeks into his transition from President-elect to America's commander in chief, Donald Trump has signaled his priorities and demonstrated the habits of mind he will bring to the most powerful position in the world. The clues tell us we shouldn't expect this 70-year-old showman to be transformed into a genuinely sober, predictable leader, but this is not necessarily a bad omen.

There are lots of things ordinary politicians care about -- rules about what kinds of things can be said while in office or on the campaign trail, traditions that have been tested in the history of US government and politics -- that Trump may not care about. But it's clear from his career and evident from his period as President-elect so far that there are three things he does care about:

He still cares about the media -- a lot.

Trump has attended two big gatherings in the days since he seized the presidency. Neither of these sessions brought him together with the campaign staff that served him so well or a large group of men and women who might serve in his administration.

Instead Trump chose to spend hours with the key leaders of the major TV news networks and the writers and editors of The New York Times.

The sessions with journalists tell us that Trump remains all-but-obsessed with the power of the news media. His stagecraft was vintage Trump. The TV news folks were required to troop to his domain, Trump Tower, where they were photographed like supplicants coming to honor the monarch seated high in the sky above them. Instead of the "reset" of a relationship described by campaign manager Kellyanne Conway, Trump apparently used much of the meeting as a platform of complaint against organizations such as CNN and NBC.

Ground rules accepted by the TV news folk made the meeting an off-the-record affair but as a man with 40 years of experience with the press, Trump had to know that the tone of his remarks would be shared and thus, his decision to criticize and scold them must be considered deliberate and intentional. Within hours he was rewarded by Right Wing media outlets -- "Trump Eats Press," declared Breitbart News -- where Trump loyalists would be cheered by the thought of him scolding people they love to hate.

More revealing, perhaps, was Trump's encounter at The New York Times. First there was his decision to demonstrate his respect by trekking to the Times building (after temporarily canceling the meeting).. Then there was the agreement to make public the record of their conversation. Here it's worth noting that by making this demand, the newspaper's executives showed they are aware of their power and Trump, who knows strength when he sees it, was willing to bend.

What's going on here? The simple, and most essential explanation is that though Trump cares about TV news, he truly respects the country's unofficial but widely recognized newspaper of record. As a very young man, Trump got his big media break when the Times published a profile of him as a mogul before he really was one. He knew that the paper sets the agenda for the rest of the media in New York, the nation and (sometimes) around the world.

In the time since he has courted its editors and reporters and, with his usual level of exaggeration, called attention to approving articles. (He once bragged to me, erroneously, that an article about him was one the longest ever published in its pages.)

Trump cares about your opinion of him

The President-elect's interest in demanding or pleading for the approval of important news outlets coincides with his longstanding, and obviously ever-present desire to be admired by great numbers of people.

Like an athlete who takes comfort in the score of a game that has been won, Trump likes it when the numbers indicate he's doing well. During the presidential race he often called attention to favorable polls. And as host of the TV show "The Apprentice" he avidly promoted positive ratings reports. One of his aides on "The Apprentice" told me that long after his ratings declined Trump continued to seek attention based on the idea that he still had a top show. When this was pointed out to him, Trump ignored the reality and continued to say he was on top.

Similarly, Trump has used his wealth, or at least the level of wealth he claims to possess, as an indicator of his success. He has famously lobbied and then argued with the editors of Forbes magazine, insisting that in their annual announcements of the richest people in America and the world that they shortchange him.

As Trump's complaints to Forbes indicate, he can be impatient when other people have control of the scoreboard. This is one reason why he is entranced by social media. He enjoys having direct access to huge numbers of followers on Facebook and Twitter where he can make whatever claims he wants to make without being checked by outside authorities. He exploited social media before and during the campaign and he seems unable to give it up now.

Perhaps the least presidential thing Trump does now is issue his own, often argumentative, statements on Twitter. When a cast member at the hit Broadway play "Hamilton" made a public post-show plea for Vice President-elect Mike Pence to keep all Americans in mind, Trump couldn't help but take offense, in the Twittersphere. He wrote "Our wonderful future V.P. Mike Pence was harassed last night at the theater by the cast of Hamilton, cameras blazing. This should not happen!"

Twenty-four hours later Trump was at it again, complaining about "Saturday Night Live." "It is a totally one-sided, biased show - nothing funny at all. Equal time for us?"

Setting aside the fact that Trump has appeared on the program many times (even during the campaign), his complaint about "SNL's" bias ignores the many times the cast has skewered his political rivals. Worse, Trump's tweets about the TV show and "Hamilton" demonstrate that Trump doesn't understand the role of press and artists in challenging presidents. He seems unaware, also, of the need to preserve a certain dignity based on his status as president-in-waiting.

No one in such a high position should feel compelled to respond to the rather mild types of commentary expressed on "SNL" or at the "Hamilton" performance. Barack Obama, to cite one very apt comparison, didn't respond every time Donald Trump suggested inaccurately he might not be legitimately the president because he could have been foreign-born.

Behind Trump's resentful tweets, of course, resides his deeply felt insecurity and constant concern for his public image. He may be poised to accept the most powerful job in the world, but the comments prove he doesn't really feel powerful. He remains needy and obsessed with making sure everyone recognizes his greatness.

Although he has referred to the arrangements he is making for his businesses as a "blind trust," Trump is keeping his holdings intact and will put his kids in charge. To expect them to do anything inconsistent with his wishes is like expecting lion cubs to turn vegetarian. We should, instead, assume that they will not only inform him of their activities but they may also exploit his status as president.

No one elected president has carried into office the complex and far-flung interests Trump has built over his many decades of entrepreneurial activity. Trump partnerships and branded projects can be found across the United States and around the world. Trump has already been subject to reports that in post-election contacts with leaders in Argentina and the United Kingdom he may have mixed business with affairs of state.

Although one can imagine a legal challenge if Trump mixes business and his role as president, the true counterweight to his more risky impulses is his desire for approval. Here the time he spent at The New York Times is most illuminating.

On position after position, from climate change to the use of torture against terror suspects, Trump offered the editors and reporters more nuanced and flexible attitudes than he ever showed during the campaign. On a personal level, though, his comment about Republicans who rejected him during the campaign but want to be in his good graces now showed where his heart tends to go. "Right now, they're in love with me," he said at the meeting.

In his candid references to critics who now love him, and new policy positions that would reassure those who worry about a future with Trump in the White House, the President-elect reminded us that he wants, more than anything else, the security that comes when admiration is added to his wealth. He wants love to go with his money and he's willing to behave more like a responsible politician if it means he will get it.</s>U.S. President-elect Donald Trump never ceases to amaze us. No, I’m not talking about his off-the-charts drubbing of Hillary Clinton that dazed critics and pundits all over the world. I mean, never since Muhammad Ali rumbled over George Foreman in Zaire and James “Buster” Douglas busted Mike Tyson in Tokyo have global pundits been so wrong about the outcome of a contest in sports or politics.

While critics are still trying to pick their jaws off the ground, Trump is now confounding not only critics, but even his legion of die-hard supporters by nominating some of his harshest critics to serve in his cabinet, pending Congressional approval. One of such nominees is Nikki Haley, governor of the state of South Carolina, best remembered for ordering the controversial Confederate flag removed from South Carolina Statehouse after a self-confessed racist murdered nine African American worshipers in a historically black church.

During the GOP Primaries, Trump said Haley was a disgrace, but Haley didn’t pull punches, hitting Trump back with some harsh words of her own. Needless to say, Haley didn’t support Trump, but the president-elect has tapped her as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. While that has surprised many, it pales when compared to Trump’s consideration of fellow GOP millionaire businessman Mitt Romney for the prestigious cabinet position of Secretary of State, Nigeria’s equivalent of Foreign Minister. Mitt Romney? Yes, the GOP presidential candidate who lost to Obama in the 2012 elections that gave Obama his second term in the Oval office.

During the last primaries, Trump took the unconventional steps of lambasting Romney, saying he choked in an election he had every opportunity to win. Romney did not just fire back with some off-the-curb reaction. He had a prepared speech and used almost an hour to berate Trump over legions of his failed business ventures – Trump Airlines, Trump University, Trump Magazine, Trump Casino in Atlantic City, and a host of others.

As if those were not bad enough, he stuck a dagger into Trump’s reputation (or whatever was still left of it) by calling him “a phony, fraud, a con man.” Simply put in Nigerian terms, Romney said Trump is “419.” Romney was Trump’s worst nightmare. He dealt with Trump more that any of his opponent could. If Trump was just another politician, the Romney “revelations” would have forced him to withdraw from the race.

Romney stood up against Trump just like Femi Fani Kayode stood up against Buhari during the latter’s 2015 successful campaign to unseat President Goodluck Jonathan. In your wildest dream, do you think Buhari would have asked Fani-Kayode to serve in his cabinet? Not a chance! Well, unless in a dream besieged by malaria. That’s exactly what Trump did days before Thursday’s Thanksgiving holiday.

The “con-man” invited Romney over to the “Con Tower” in New York, and Romney honored his request. “The “phony” reportedly discussed with Romney about serving as Secretary of State, and Romney is said to be seriously considering it and discussing with family members about it. Holy Smoke! Romney didn’t mind accommodating the invitation of this “fraud,” he might even accept the offer.

Good grief! Imagine if I took a page from Romney’s playbook and called Buhari a “phony” or a “con-man” simply because the exchange rate is not yet (and might never be) N1 to $1 as Buhari promised during his campaign – guess how wonderful the SSS might receive me the next time I’m sighted at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport? You guessed right – no amount of screaming “Sai Baba!” would spare me from a nice chat with the security agents.

Now, as magnanimous as Trump’s gesture to Romney appears to be, it is also possible that Trump could be luring Romney to extract payback for the humiliation Romney hurled at him. How? Well, as future President Trump’s cabinet member, Romney will serve only at Trump’s pleasure and Trump can fire him at anytime for any reason or without reason. Just playing devil’s advocate, folks.

In case you thought there are no homeless people in America, think again. From New York to Los Angeles, many major American cities have to deal with homelessness. Just that Los Angeles – yes, the famous City of Angeles – now have more homeless people than angels. My take is that angels fled the city decades ago when they saw how L.A. police beat up Rodney King as if he stole from Onitsha Market.

At the just concluded November 8 elections – yes, the same night Donald Trump ate Hillary Clinton for dinner and became president-elect, voters in Los Angeles overwhelmingly passed a $1.2 billion bond issue to build 10,000 apartment units to accommodate homeless people in one of America’s finest cities. Yes, 10,000 housing units to be built 1,000 per year, to fight a chronic problem that has plagued L.A.

The concern now is how soon this can be achieved, considering that due process must be followed, unlike in Nigeria where that could be conveniently bypassed (oops! Did I say that? My bad!). For instance, it could take from three to five years to acquire land, obtain all relevant approvals and then build the apartments. That means, homeless people in L.A. would have to continue making use of tent encampments now scattered across the city.

I bet Lagosians can now breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that homelessness is not peculiar to this commercial capital of God’s own country – Nigeria. No pun intended here.</s>Republicans and top Donald Trump allies have cast doubt over Mitt Romney being selected as secretary of state.

Mitt Romney, the former presidential candidate who named Mr Trump a “fraud” and a “phony” in March, had a "far-reaching" conversation with Mr Trump last weekend, but has yet to be offered a role.

The former Massachusetts governor also said Mr Trump’s promises were “as worthless as a degree from Trump University”.

Mr Trump’s campaign manager Kellyanne Conway showed her displeasure at the idea in a series of tweets and named more “loyal” candidates for the job including Henry Kissinger, the hawkish secretary of state in the 1970s, and George Schultz, who worked for Ronald Reagan.

She said they flew around the world less, counseled the president closer to home and were loyal, which made “a good checklist”.

She also said she had received a “deluge” of private social media communications warning her against Mr Romney. She linked to a Politico article, with the headline “Some Trump loyalists warn against Romney as secretary of state.”

The article quoted former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee and former house speaker Newt Gingrich, who accused Mr Romney of trying to “derail” the president-elect during the campaign trail.

“It’s not about that I don’t care for Mitt personally, but I’m still very unhappy that Mitt did everything he could to derail Donald Trump,” Mr Huckabee told Fox News.

“He didn’t just go after him from a standpoint of saying I disagree with his policy on immigration or I disagree with his policy on taxes. He attacked him on a personal level about his character, integrity, his honour.”

Yet Mr Trump's vice president-elect, Mike Pence, recently confirmed that Mr Romney was a top pick for the job, highlighting a potential clash amid the transition team.

Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani is also reportedly being considered for the role, after he turned down the offer of attorney general, but other names may be added to the list as all parties mull the decisions over Thanksgiving.

Mr Trump himself had attacked Mr Romney, calling him a “choke artist” who had “begged” him for money when he was running for president.

Yet the possible new secretary of state tweeted an olive branch after the election, saying: “Best wishes for our duly elected president: May his victory speech be his guide and preserving the Republic his aim.”

Their meeting in New Jersey on Saturday was described by officials as “extremely positive and productive”.

This week Mr Trump made several key appointments including billionaire, anti-gay activist Betsy DeVos as education secretary and offered the role of US housing and urban development secretary to retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson.</s>Washington (CNN) Kellyanne Conway publicly sounded alarm bells Thursday in a series of tweets highlighting the anger among President-elect Donald Trump's base of supporters with Mitt Romney, reportedly to be a leading contender for secretary of state.

Receiving deluge of social media & private comms re: Romney Some Trump loyalists warn against Romney as sec of state https://t.co/HDtpjeJTc3 — Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) November 24, 2016

"Receiving deluge of social media & private comms re: Romney Some Trump loyalists warn against Romney as sec of state," the top Trump aide and former campaign manager tweeted, along with a link to a Politico article about discontent with the 2012 presidential nominee among Trump loyalists.

Conway later tweeted, "Kissinger & Schultz as Secs of State flew around the world less, counseled POTUS close to home more. And were loyal. Good checklist."

Kissinger & Schultz as Secs of State flew around the world less, counseled POTUS close to home more. And were loyal. Good checklist. — Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) November 24, 2016

Sources familiar with transition discussions report that Romney -- who was Trump's fiercest critic inside the Republican Party during the campaign -- is interested in serving as the country's top diplomat. Sources report that Romney is waging a behind-the-scenes fight for the job with Rudy Giuliani, a Trump loyalist.

Conway told CNN that she was only tweeting the same message she has been telling Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence in private.

Read More</s>Michael D'Antonio, the author of " The Truth About Trump ," is writing Trump Watch , a series of columns on President-elect Donald Trump for CNN Opinion. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his.

(CNN) Two weeks into his transition from President-elect to America's commander in chief, Donald Trump has signaled his priorities and demonstrated the habits of mind he will bring to the most powerful position in the world. The clues tell us we shouldn't expect this 70-year-old showman to be transformed into a genuinely sober, predictable leader, but this is not necessarily a bad omen.

There are lots of things ordinary politicians care about -- rules about what kinds of things can be said while in office or on the campaign trail, traditions that have been tested in the history of US government and politics -- that Trump may not care about. But it's clear from his career and evident from his period as President-elect so far that there are three things he does care about:

He still cares about the media -- a lot.

Trump has attended two big gatherings in the days since he seized the presidency. Neither of these sessions brought him together with the campaign staff that served him so well or a large group of men and women who might serve in his administration.

Instead Trump chose to spend hours with the key leaders of the major TV news networks and the writers and editors of The New York Times.

The sessions with journalists tell us that Trump remains all-but-obsessed with the power of the news media. His stagecraft was vintage Trump. The TV news folks were required to troop to his domain, Trump Tower, where they were photographed like supplicants coming to honor the monarch seated high in the sky above them. Instead of the "reset" of a relationship described by campaign manager Kellyanne Conway, Trump apparently used much of the meeting as a platform of complaint against organizations such as CNN and NBC.

Ground rules accepted by the TV news folk made the meeting an off-the-record affair but as a man with 40 years of experience with the press, Trump had to know that the tone of his remarks would be shared and thus, his decision to criticize and scold them must be considered deliberate and intentional. Within hours he was rewarded by Right Wing media outlets -- "Trump Eats Press," declared Breitbart News -- where Trump loyalists would be cheered by the thought of him scolding people they love to hate.

More revealing, perhaps, was Trump's encounter at The New York Times. First there was his decision to demonstrate his respect by trekking to the Times building (after temporarily canceling the meeting).. Then there was the agreement to make public the record of their conversation. Here it's worth noting that by making this demand, the newspaper's executives showed they are aware of their power and Trump, who knows strength when he sees it, was willing to bend.

What's going on here? The simple, and most essential explanation is that though Trump cares about TV news, he truly respects the country's unofficial but widely recognized newspaper of record. As a very young man, Trump got his big media break when the Times published a profile of him as a mogul before he really was one. He knew that the paper sets the agenda for the rest of the media in New York, the nation and (sometimes) around the world.

In the time since he has courted its editors and reporters and, with his usual level of exaggeration, called attention to approving articles. (He once bragged to me, erroneously, that an article about him was one the longest ever published in its pages.)

Trump cares about your opinion of him

The President-elect's interest in demanding or pleading for the approval of important news outlets coincides with his longstanding, and obviously ever-present desire to be admired by great numbers of people.

Like an athlete who takes comfort in the score of a game that has been won, Trump likes it when the numbers indicate he's doing well. During the presidential race he often called attention to favorable polls. And as host of the TV show "The Apprentice" he avidly promoted positive ratings reports. One of his aides on "The Apprentice" told me that long after his ratings declined Trump continued to seek attention based on the idea that he still had a top show. When this was pointed out to him, Trump ignored the reality and continued to say he was on top.

Similarly, Trump has used his wealth, or at least the level of wealth he claims to possess, as an indicator of his success. He has famously lobbied and then argued with the editors of Forbes magazine, insisting that in their annual announcements of the richest people in America and the world that they shortchange him.

As Trump's complaints to Forbes indicate, he can be impatient when other people have control of the scoreboard. This is one reason why he is entranced by social media. He enjoys having direct access to huge numbers of followers on Facebook and Twitter where he can make whatever claims he wants to make without being checked by outside authorities. He exploited social media before and during the campaign and he seems unable to give it up now.

Perhaps the least presidential thing Trump does now is issue his own, often argumentative, statements on Twitter. When a cast member at the hit Broadway play "Hamilton" made a public post-show plea for Vice President-elect Mike Pence to keep all Americans in mind, Trump couldn't help but take offense, in the Twittersphere. He wrote "Our wonderful future V.P. Mike Pence was harassed last night at the theater by the cast of Hamilton, cameras blazing. This should not happen!"

Twenty-four hours later Trump was at it again, complaining about "Saturday Night Live." "It is a totally one-sided, biased show - nothing funny at all. Equal time for us?"

Setting aside the fact that Trump has appeared on the program many times (even during the campaign), his complaint about "SNL's" bias ignores the many times the cast has skewered his political rivals. Worse, Trump's tweets about the TV show and "Hamilton" demonstrate that Trump doesn't understand the role of press and artists in challenging presidents. He seems unaware, also, of the need to preserve a certain dignity based on his status as president-in-waiting.

No one in such a high position should feel compelled to respond to the rather mild types of commentary expressed on "SNL" or at the "Hamilton" performance. Barack Obama, to cite one very apt comparison, didn't respond every time Donald Trump suggested inaccurately he might not be legitimately the president because he could have been foreign-born.

Behind Trump's resentful tweets, of course, resides his deeply felt insecurity and constant concern for his public image. He may be poised to accept the most powerful job in the world, but the comments prove he doesn't really feel powerful. He remains needy and obsessed with making sure everyone recognizes his greatness.

Although he has referred to the arrangements he is making for his businesses as a "blind trust," Trump is keeping his holdings intact and will put his kids in charge. To expect them to do anything inconsistent with his wishes is like expecting lion cubs to turn vegetarian. We should, instead, assume that they will not only inform him of their activities but they may also exploit his status as president.

No one elected president has carried into office the complex and far-flung interests Trump has built over his many decades of entrepreneurial activity. Trump partnerships and branded projects can be found across the United States and around the world. Trump has already been subject to reports that in post-election contacts with leaders in Argentina and the United Kingdom he may have mixed business with affairs of state.

Although one can imagine a legal challenge if Trump mixes business and his role as president, the true counterweight to his more risky impulses is his desire for approval. Here the time he spent at The New York Times is most illuminating.

On position after position, from climate change to the use of torture against terror suspects, Trump offered the editors and reporters more nuanced and flexible attitudes than he ever showed during the campaign. On a personal level, though, his comment about Republicans who rejected him during the campaign but want to be in his good graces now showed where his heart tends to go. "Right now, they're in love with me," he said at the meeting.

In his candid references to critics who now love him, and new policy positions that would reassure those who worry about a future with Trump in the White House, the President-elect reminded us that he wants, more than anything else, the security that comes when admiration is added to his wealth. He wants love to go with his money and he's willing to behave more like a responsible politician if it means he will get it.</s>Michael D'Antonio, the author of " The Truth About Trump ," is writing Trump Watch , a series of columns on President-elect Donald Trump for CNN Opinion. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his.

(CNN) Two weeks into his transition from President-elect to America's commander in chief, Donald Trump has signaled his priorities and demonstrated the habits of mind he will bring to the most powerful position in the world. The clues tell us we shouldn't expect this 70-year-old showman to be transformed into a genuinely sober, predictable leader, but this is not necessarily a bad omen.

There are lots of things ordinary politicians care about -- rules about what kinds of things can be said while in office or on the campaign trail, traditions that have been tested in the history of US government and politics -- that Trump may not care about. But it's clear from his career and evident from his period as President-elect so far that there are three things he does care about:

He still cares about the media -- a lot.

Trump has attended two big gatherings in the days since he seized the presidency. Neither of these sessions brought him together with the campaign staff that served him so well or a large group of men and women who might serve in his administration.

Instead Trump chose to spend hours with the key leaders of the major TV news networks and the writers and editors of The New York Times.

The sessions with journalists tell us that Trump remains all-but-obsessed with the power of the news media. His stagecraft was vintage Trump. The TV news folks were required to troop to his domain, Trump Tower, where they were photographed like supplicants coming to honor the monarch seated high in the sky above them. Instead of the "reset" of a relationship described by campaign manager Kellyanne Conway, Trump apparently used much of the meeting as a platform of complaint against organizations such as CNN and NBC.

Ground rules accepted by the TV news folk made the meeting an off-the-record affair but as a man with 40 years of experience with the press, Trump had to know that the tone of his remarks would be shared and thus, his decision to criticize and scold them must be considered deliberate and intentional. Within hours he was rewarded by Right Wing media outlets -- "Trump Eats Press," declared Breitbart News -- where Trump loyalists would be cheered by the thought of him scolding people they love to hate.

More revealing, perhaps, was Trump's encounter at The New York Times. First there was his decision to demonstrate his respect by trekking to the Times building (after temporarily canceling the meeting).. Then there was the agreement to make public the record of their conversation. Here it's worth noting that by making this demand, the newspaper's executives showed they are aware of their power and Trump, who knows strength when he sees it, was willing to bend.

What's going on here? The simple, and most essential explanation is that though Trump cares about TV news, he truly respects the country's unofficial but widely recognized newspaper of record. As a very young man, Trump got his big media break when the Times published a profile of him as a mogul before he really was one. He knew that the paper sets the agenda for the rest of the media in New York, the nation and (sometimes) around the world.

In the time since he has courted its editors and reporters and, with his usual level of exaggeration, called attention to approving articles. (He once bragged to me, erroneously, that an article about him was one the longest ever published in its pages.)

Trump cares about your opinion of him

The President-elect's interest in demanding or pleading for the approval of important news outlets coincides with his longstanding, and obviously ever-present desire to be admired by great numbers of people.

Like an athlete who takes comfort in the score of a game that has been won, Trump likes it when the numbers indicate he's doing well. During the presidential race he often called attention to favorable polls. And as host of the TV show "The Apprentice" he avidly promoted positive ratings reports. One of his aides on "The Apprentice" told me that long after his ratings declined Trump continued to seek attention based on the idea that he still had a top show. When this was pointed out to him, Trump ignored the reality and continued to say he was on top.

Similarly, Trump has used his wealth, or at least the level of wealth he claims to possess, as an indicator of his success. He has famously lobbied and then argued with the editors of Forbes magazine, insisting that in their annual announcements of the richest people in America and the world that they shortchange him.

As Trump's complaints to Forbes indicate, he can be impatient when other people have control of the scoreboard. This is one reason why he is entranced by social media. He enjoys having direct access to huge numbers of followers on Facebook and Twitter where he can make whatever claims he wants to make without being checked by outside authorities. He exploited social media before and during the campaign and he seems unable to give it up now.

Perhaps the least presidential thing Trump does now is issue his own, often argumentative, statements on Twitter. When a cast member at the hit Broadway play "Hamilton" made a public post-show plea for Vice President-elect Mike Pence to keep all Americans in mind, Trump couldn't help but take offense, in the Twittersphere. He wrote "Our wonderful future V.P. Mike Pence was harassed last night at the theater by the cast of Hamilton, cameras blazing. This should not happen!"

Twenty-four hours later Trump was at it again, complaining about "Saturday Night Live." "It is a totally one-sided, biased show - nothing funny at all. Equal time for us?"

Setting aside the fact that Trump has appeared on the program many times (even during the campaign), his complaint about "SNL's" bias ignores the many times the cast has skewered his political rivals. Worse, Trump's tweets about the TV show and "Hamilton" demonstrate that Trump doesn't understand the role of press and artists in challenging presidents. He seems unaware, also, of the need to preserve a certain dignity based on his status as president-in-waiting.

No one in such a high position should feel compelled to respond to the rather mild types of commentary expressed on "SNL" or at the "Hamilton" performance. Barack Obama, to cite one very apt comparison, didn't respond every time Donald Trump suggested inaccurately he might not be legitimately the president because he could have been foreign-born.

Behind Trump's resentful tweets, of course, resides his deeply felt insecurity and constant concern for his public image. He may be poised to accept the most powerful job in the world, but the comments prove he doesn't really feel powerful. He remains needy and obsessed with making sure everyone recognizes his greatness.

Although he has referred to the arrangements he is making for his businesses as a "blind trust," Trump is keeping his holdings intact and will put his kids in charge. To expect them to do anything inconsistent with his wishes is like expecting lion cubs to turn vegetarian. We should, instead, assume that they will not only inform him of their activities but they may also exploit his status as president.

No one elected president has carried into office the complex and far-flung interests Trump has built over his many decades of entrepreneurial activity. Trump partnerships and branded projects can be found across the United States and around the world. Trump has already been subject to reports that in post-election contacts with leaders in Argentina and the United Kingdom he may have mixed business with affairs of state.

Although one can imagine a legal challenge if Trump mixes business and his role as president, the true counterweight to his more risky impulses is his desire for approval. Here the time he spent at The New York Times is most illuminating.

On position after position, from climate change to the use of torture against terror suspects, Trump offered the editors and reporters more nuanced and flexible attitudes than he ever showed during the campaign. On a personal level, though, his comment about Republicans who rejected him during the campaign but want to be in his good graces now showed where his heart tends to go. "Right now, they're in love with me," he said at the meeting.

In his candid references to critics who now love him, and new policy positions that would reassure those who worry about a future with Trump in the White House, the President-elect reminded us that he wants, more than anything else, the security that comes when admiration is added to his wealth. He wants love to go with his money and he's willing to behave more like a responsible politician if it means he will get it.</s>U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said on Thursday he was spending part of his Thanksgiving holiday trying to persuade an Indiana air conditioner maker to keep production in the United States - reflecting his campaign pledge to stop the flow of jobs abroad.

Trump, who is also weighing decisions on his Cabinet during a family retreat at his Mar-a-Lago golf resort in Florida, said on Twitter he was “working hard, even on Thanksgiving, trying to get Carrier A.C. Company to stay in the U.S. (Indiana). MAKING PROGRESS - Will know soon!”

Carrier Corp, a division of United Technologies Corp, responded on Twitter that the company has had “discussions with the incoming administration” but had “nothing to announce at this time.” A representative for the company had no additional comment.

Earlier this year, the company said it would move 1,400 jobs to Mexico from Indiana, giving a three-year timetable for the shift.

The state’s Republican governor, Mike Pence - later picked by Trump as his vice-presidential running mate - decried the decision, and spoke out against it often on the campaign trail.

Trump made Carrier’s decision part of his rallying cry against trade deals that he said were unfavorable to American workers. He said he would slap taxes on the company’s air conditioners shipped back to the United States.

Asked by Reuters last week whether the company was reconsidering its decision given Trump’s victory in the Nov. 8 election over Democrat Hillary Clinton, the company said in a statement it was “making every effort” to help its Indiana employees during the shift.

“By providing three years advance notice of the move and by funding education and retraining programs for up to four years after the move is complete, we are providing employees with both time and opportunity to help them to make a smooth transition,” the company said.

Carrier also cited an agreement it had reached with the United Steelworkers union about compensation for affected workers.

Trump also railed against Ford Motor Co during the campaign, and took a victory lap on Twitter last week after the company informed him it would not shift production of a Lincoln sport utility vehicle to Mexico from Kentucky.

“I worked hard with Bill Ford to keep the Lincoln plant in Kentucky,” Trump tweeted, referring to Ford’s executive chairman.

Ford had never considered moving the whole factory south of the border, but said it was encouraged by Trump’s business policies.

Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, has been interviewing candidates for his Cabinet and other top White House positions. He and Pence have held more than 60 such meetings since the election.

Trump announced two picks on Wednesday for his Cabinet - South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and wealthy Republican donor and school choice advocate Betsy DeVos to lead the Education Department. Both are subject to Senate confirmation.

Major choices for the Pentagon, State Department and Treasury are still to come. A spokesman said no announcements were expected on Thursday.

Trump’s State Department deliberations have spurred debate within his inner circle - particularly his consideration of Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor and businessman who ran against Democratic President Barack Obama in the 2012 election.

Romney would be a comforting pick for establishment Republicans. But hardline Trump backers believe he should be disqualified because he called Trump a “fraud” during the Republican nominating race and urged Republicans to stop him from becoming their candidate for the 2016 election.

Kellyanne Conway, Trump’s senior adviser, said on Thursday she was on the receiving end of a “deluge of social media & private comms” about the Romney option, noting being “loyal” was a positive attribute for the job.

Trump and Pence were “spending significant time” on the secretary of state pick, spokesman Jason Miller told reporters on Wednesday.

“They’ll be looking for things like chemistry, experience, a similar vision into what the president-elect and vice president elect are trying to do with this administration,” Miller said.</s>Rosie O'Donnell has sparked outrage online after posting a link to a video asking whether Barron Trump is autistic.

The comedienne posted a YouTube video to her Twitter account on Monday that speculates the 10-year-old son of president-elect Donald Trump is autistic.

"Barron Trump Autistic? if so - what an amazing opportunity to bring attention to the AUTISM epidemic," O'Donnell tweeted along with the video.

Users on the social media site were quick to fire back.

"As a parent of a child with autism- I am [extremely insulted]. This wasn't meant 2 help raise awareness. Just plain cruel," tweeted one user.

"Okay, I watched the video, get it and agree. I am disgusted! I am no Trump fan but kids should be off limits always!" said another.

O'Donnell later tweeted a clarification of her initial post, replying to one user by saying, "moms of special needs kids - WE show up for each other - care n concern were raised."

O'Donnell has been publicly feuding with Donald Trump since 2006 when she was co-host of The View. The president-elect even dropped her name during one of his debates against Hillary Clinton, saying during the Sept. 26 faceoff: "Hillary is hitting me with tremendous commercials. Some of it I said in entertainment, some of it said to somebody who has been very vicious to me, Rosie O'Donnell. I said very tough things to her and I think everybody would agree she deserves it and nobody feels sorry for her."</s>President-elect Donald Trump will work on the transition Friday at his Florida resort after spending Thanksgiving with his family.



Mr. Trump made foreign policy a centerpiece of his campaign, but has yet to name secretaries of defense, homeland security or state. The current fight on the transition team is over who will lead the State Department – a question that has Mr. Trump’s inner circle divided, reports CBS News correspondent Errol Barnett.

I am working hard, even on Thanksgiving, trying to get Carrier A.C. Company to stay in the U.S. (Indiana). MAKING PROGRESS - Will know soon! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 24, 2016

Mr. Trump was President-out-of-sight-elect Thursday, enjoying a Thanksgiving meal with family at his Mar-a-Lago resort. But he didn’t take the holiday off, writing on Twitter: “I’m working hard, even on Thanksgiving, trying to get carrier A.C. Company to stay in the U.S. (Indiana).”

On the campaign trail, Mr. Trump frequently pointed to the air conditioning company as an example of how trade deals have negatively impacted American workers. “Companies, like Carrier, simply fire their workers and move their operations to Mexico, build new plants, make their product and sell it back into this country,” Mr. Trump said.

Carrier confirmed it’s “...had discussions with the incoming administration…” but has nothing to announce at this time. Also Thursday, Kellyanne Conway, a senior transition adviser and former campaign manager, publicly discouraged Mr. Trump from choosing Mitt Romney as secretary of state.



Receiving deluge of social media & private comms re: Romney Some Trump loyalists warn against Romney as sec of state https://t.co/HDtpjeJTc3 — Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) November 24, 2016

Conway shared an article on twitter titled, “Some Trump loyalists warn against Romney as secretary of state,” and praised the loyalty of former state department secretaries, hinting at Romney’s previous Trump criticisms.

Insults between Mr. Trump and the 2012 nominee flew in both directions.

“He’s playing the members of the American public for suckers. He gets a free ride to the White House, and all we get is a lousy hat,” Romney told a crowd at the University of Utah last March.

“The last election should’ve been won, except Romney choked like a dog. He choked. He went, ‘I can’t breathe!’” Trump mocked Romney at a rally in Rome, New York last April, grabbing his neck.

Also currently on the list for the secretary of state slot is former CIA Director David Petraeus, Senator Bob Corker and longtime Trump ally Rudy Giuliani. Once seen as Mr. Trump’s top pick, Giuliani has been making a public case for his appointment, listing various foreign trips and his close personal relationship with the Israeli prime minister as reasons why he’s the most qualified.</s>He cited McFarland's "tremendous experience and innate talent," which he said would "complement the fantastic team we are assembling."

McFarland has most recently served as a Fox News analyst. She served in various posts under former Presidents Nixon Ford and Reagan.

George Martin is a member of the state Green Party's council. Martin says Stein's campaign will file the request by the state's 5 p.m. Friday deadline.

Under Wisconsin law, Stein's campaign must show a basis for the recount in that state and cover costs. Stein has said she's concerned voting systems in the three states may have been hacked. Her campaign estimates a Wisconsin recount will cost $1.1 million.

A top adviser to President-elect Donald Trump has gone on Twitter to note opposition among some of his supporters to selection of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney as secretary of state.

In a pair of posts on her verified Twitter account @kellyannePolls on Thursday, Trump spokeswoman Kellyanne Conway seemed to be stating an argument against the placement of Romney in Trump's Cabinet. Romney vehemently opposed Trump's nomination early in the campaign, assailing the billionaire as a " ."

In one tweet, Conway notes that she has been "receiving a deluge of social media & private concerns re: Romney Some Trump loyalists warn against Romney as sec of state."

In another, she makes references to former secretaries of state Henry Kissinger and George Schultz, both Cabinet secretaries in Republican administrations, as men who "flew around the world less, POTUS (president of the United States) close to home more. And were loyal. Good checklist."

Hillary Clinton has tweeted a thank you to supporters who left homemade signs near her house with warm wishes on Thanksgiving.

Clinton posted a picture of about a dozen signs on Twitter Thursday along with a message: "I was greeted by this heartwarming display on the corner of my street today. Thank you to all of you who did this. Happy Thanksgiving."

Some of the messages on the signs included, "Thank you, Hillary!" and "We Are Thankful for Hillary, An American Hero."

She has for the most part remained out of public view since conceding the presidential election to Donald Trump on Nov. 9, except for a speech at an event held in Washington by the Children's Fund.

This story has been corrected to change the time element to Thursday in the initial item regarding Conway Twitter posts.
A tweet from President-elect Trump aide Kellyanne Conway acknowledges grassroots opposition to former Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney as Trump's Secretary of State.